Sri Lanka, India strive to solve issues of cross-border fishing

With the media report of Sri Lankan Navy attacking South Indian fishermen recently, the two governments are making efforts to defuse the tension.

According to media reports from the southern India state of Tamil Nadu, eight Indian fishermen were attacked by the Sri Lankan Navy crew on July 7 and one 55-year-old fishermen died and seven others were injured due to the assault.

The Indian fishermen, fishing in the Sri Lankan waters, were assaulted by the Sri Lankan Navy after refusing to withdraw from the boundary waters, said the reports.

The fishermen later lodged complaints to the Indian police, the Fisheries Department and the Tamil Nadu Coast Guard Security.

Denying the claims that the Sri Lankan Navy was attacking the Indian fishermen, the Sri Lankan government, however, agreed to form a joint committee with India to solve the disputes between the Sri Lankan Navy and Tamil Nadu fishermen.

The committee, which comprises senior officials from the two countries, will look into the possibilities of preventing such incidents in the future.

Sri Lankan Media Minister and Defense Spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said the accusations were baseless and it was an attempt to tarnish the good relationship between the two countries.

Source:Xinhua
【1】 【2】 【3】