India summons Lankan envoy over alleged killing of fisherman

India Thursday has summoned Sri Lanka’s envoy to protest the alleged killing of an Indian fisherman by the Sri Lankan Navy.

Indian media reports said that India’s External Affairs Ministry summoned Sri Lankan High Commissioner Prasad Kariyawasam to protest the firing on three Indian fishermen at sea near the Tamil Nadu coast that led to the death of one on Wednesday.

India has stressed that Sri Lanka security personnel should desist from using force in such encounters and exercise maximum restraint.

The Sri Lankan Navy had vehemently denied that it fired on Indian fishermen. The Navy spokesman Captain Athula Senarth has told reporters in Colombo that no such incident took place.

After meeting with Indian official in charge of Sri Lanka, Kariyawasam has told the reporters in Chennai that Sri Lanka would investigate the alleged incident.  “The Sri Lankan Navy says they were never present in the area and they never fired any shot. Since we have received a complaint, we are inquiring about it,” Kariyawasam was quoted by the IANS.  Indian High Commissioner in Colombo has reportedly discussed the issue with senior government officials and expressed his regret and concern over the killing.

 Sri Lanka Defence Ministry and the Navy are reportedly investigating the incident and Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris had a closed door meeting with top officials, including foreign secretary Romesh Jayasinghe on the incident, the IANS report said.

Trans-border fishing by fishermen from both countries has been an issue for a long time for India as well as for Sri Lanka.

The two countries reached an understanding on October 26, 2008 and since then the number of incidents or firing and apprehension on Indian fishermen have significantly dropped.