- Rasika Somarathna
26 March 2014
President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday instructed the authorities to take measures to release Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan custody, Presidential Spokesman Mohan Samaranayake said.
"The President had taken this decision as a gesture of goodwill on India's stand in Geneva on Thursday," Samaranayake added.
India abstained from voting at the United States-led resolution against Sri Lanka on the UN Human Rights Council on Thursday. Along with India, there were 11 other abstentions, while 12 countries voted against the resolution. A majority of the UNHRC council members did not vote for the resolution with only 23 voting in favour, while the abstentions and those voting against amounted to 24 countries.
India had voted in favour of the last resolution against Sri Lanka in 2013.
According to the Sri Lankan Navy, a total of 98 Indian fishermen and 28 boats belonging to them are currently in Sri Lankan custody, for poaching in the country's waters. This is after some 170 Indian fishermen were freed last week after being produced before court.
The fishermen were detained when they crossed the International Maritime Boundary Line in the Palk Straits and were poaching in Sri Lankan waters.
Meanwhile, India's The Hindu' carrying a story on the above stated with the President's instructions to release all Indian fishermen, the postponed second round of talks between the fishermen of the two sides may resume soon.
"The release, which therefore comes across as a goodwill gesture, now strengthens the possibility of the two governments holding the second round of fishermen's talks in Colombo that was earlier cancelled. The meeting, initially scheduled to be held on March 13, was postponed to March 25 only to be cancelled again, reportedly due to Tamil Nadu's refusal to send its fishermen, unless those in custody were released", The Hindu added.
See more at: http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=local/all-indian-fishermen-lankan-custody-be-released-presidents-directives
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