30,000 Mannar fishermen suffer from SLN fishing ban
Up to 30,000 fishermen in Mannar are suffering from a complete fishing ban imposed by the Sri Lankan Navy (SLN) after the Pesalai attack a week ago.
Fishing cooperative societies in Mannar informed authorities that the ban on fishing has forced the fisher folk in Mannar to below poverty level. In addition, fishermen were not allowed to attend to their fishing equipment, left at sea, and it has been unattended for a week. Fishermen fear that their items have been lost or damaged. A tiny compensation of fifty thousand rupees (US $500) was paid each to the next of kin of three out of five fishermen killed by SLN soldiers on 17 June. This compensation, set against the US $5 million in damage of outboard engines, fibre glass boats, fishing nets, is insignificant. About 70 fishermen of Vankalaipadu and Pesalai are left with no equipment and no fishing huts, after the SLN destroyed everything. The ban imposed by the SLN is set to be lifted on 25 June. The fishing bans on Pesalai and Pallimunai remains. The fishermen and their families remain in a state of fear after the Sri Lankan Navy’s rampage on 17 June which killed five fishermen on the Pesalai shores and one woman inside a Pesalai church. SLA breaks into Jaffna University campus Sri Lankan army (SLA) soldiers forced entry into the Jaffna University campus on Saturday, 24 June around 10.30 am. SLA soldiers climbed over the walls of the campus, and threatened students at gunpoint. The Jaffna Campus Student Union and the International Federation of Students in Jaffna issued a memorandum condemning the threatening actions of the SLA and cited it as a violation of student rights. The memorandum further stated, “None of the other campuses in Sri Lanka are subjected to such military thuggery, and the Jaffna High Command should provide the reason for its soldiers entering the Jaffna Campus premises.” The students warned that they will enforce a closure of the higher educational institutions through boycott unless the SLA respects the rights of education of the students and keeps off campuses.
25 June 2006
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Europe which has a total population of 800 million is made up of 45 language based nation states. South Asia which has a total population of one billion, (1000 million) is comprised of four states. Who is preventing and therefore benefiting by limiting new nation-states in South Asia?
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