News
Palk Strait security beefed-up by India to combat SL refugee influx
By Dinasena Rathugamage
The Indian Coast Guard has from Wednesday beefed up surveillance in the Palk Strait deploying additional patrols to prevent Lankan refugees reaching the Tamil Nadu coast, fishing and naval sources said.
An additional 16 vessels have already been deployed to be increased by nine more shortly, the sources said.
The Tamil Nadu political administration has decided to welcome Lankan refugees and grant them asylum. However several key ministers of the Central Government have expressed opposition predicting that there would be a large influx of Lankan refugees in coming weeks.
In recent weeks 84 Lankans from the northern districts have reached the Tamil Nadu coast and have been granted refugee status while two have been held in an Indian prison over narcotic charges.
Meanwhile, a news report in the The Hindu of May 11 said that a high alert has been sounded in the coastal districts of Tamil Nadu to prevent the intrusion of the Lankan nationals into the State.
Patrolling along the territorial waters and roads leading to the coastline have been intensified, police sources said on Tuesday. The state government was in touch with the Union Home Ministry on this matter.
While the arrival of refugees in small batches started in early March this year with several families taking boats to reach the Rameswaram coast, a sudden increase was likely, the sources said.
There was a possibility that many of the 50 odd prisoners who escaped from the Hambantota Prison could enter India by illegal means via the sea route.
Security personnel in the coastal districts were alerted to mount surveillance at vantage points and alert Village Vigilance Committees in all fishing hamlets to keep a watch at known landing points.
“We are closely monitoring the situation in Sri Lanka and are in constant touch with the Ministry of Home Affairs and intelligence agencies on the issue,” a top Tamil Nadu government official told The Hindu.
“The Coastal Security Group of the Tamil Nadu police is coordinating with the Indian Navy and Coast Guard on the frequency and patroling pattern along the south-eastern sea belt,”
It was not just Sri Lankan Tamils but Sinhalese, Muslims and others could also flee as the country plunges into a deeper economic crisis, the Indian authorities say.
“There is a possibility that former cadre of the banned LTTE could sneak into India with the support of their sympathisers who are already raising funds to revive the movement. Smuggling of weapons, drugs and other contraband substances cannot be ruled out,” the official claimed.
Officials of the State police, fisheries and intelligence agencies at Rameswaram were told to be in constant touch with fishermen and others sources to look out for families stranded in islands between the two countries, the Indian report said.
“Since vigil has been enhanced, some illegal boat operators dropped fleeing families in islands close to the International Maritime Boundary. Coastal security agencies rescued such families and brought them to Dhanushkodi in recent weeks. If need be, we will request increased aerial surveillance in the area,” the official said.
Latest News
Sun directly overhead Mannar, Periyamadu, Puliyankulam, Welioya and Pulmoddai about 12.11 noon today (30)
The sun is going to be directly over the latitudes of Sri Lanka from 28th of August to 07th of September due to its apparent southward relative motion.
The nearest places of Sri Lanka over which the sun is overhead today (30) are Mannar, Periyamadu, Puliyankulam, Welioya and
Pulmoddai about 12.11 noon.
(AFP) Sri Lanka’s maritime authorities were monitoring a fleet of 11 US-sanctioned Iranian oil tankers just off the island’s southern coast, the foreign minister said Wednesday.
The tankers were spotted close to the Galle harbour where an Iranian frigate, IRIS Dena, was sunk by a US submarine in March, killing 104 sailors. Sri Lanka’s navy rescued 32 Iranian sailors from that frigate.
Iranian vessels have been in limbo, unable to return to their home port because of a US blockade.
Sri Lanka’s Foreign minister Vijitha Herath said the tankers were in international waters where they had freedom of navigation.
“These ships are away from our territorial waters… we have no hold on them, nor have we facilitated them,” Herath told AFP.
The military deployed reconnaissance aircraft and patrol boats to monitor the vessels outside Sri Lanka’s 12-nautical-mile territorial waters, a military official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
“There is no indication of any ship-to-ship transfer of oil or illegal discharge of pollutants, so there is no basis for Sri Lankan authorities to take action against them,” the official said.
Many Iranian merchant vessels moved east towards the Strait of Malacca and Singapore due to US sanctions, while several remained near Sri Lankan waters, authorities said.
Sri Lankan officials said Washington had not formally notified Colombo about sanctioned Iranian-flagged vessels
Parliament is to debate next Wednesday the Government’s proposal to abolish the post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), with the Second Reading of the Chief of Defence Staff (Repeal) Bill scheduled for September 9.
The Bill seeks to repeal the Chief of Defence Staff Act No. 35 of 2009, which was introduced shortly after the end of the armed conflict.
According to Secretary General of Parliament Kushani Rohanadeera, Parliament will meet from September 8 to 11, with the business for the week approved by the Committee on Parliamentary Business chaired by Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne.
The debate on the Chief of Defence Staff (Repeal) Bill is scheduled to take place from 11.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, following questions to the Prime Minister and other parliamentary business.
The CDS post was established under the 2009 Act as part of the country’s higher defence command structure.
On Tuesday, September 8, the House will consider two Orders published in Extraordinary Gazettes under the Motor Traffic Act from 11.30 a.m. to 5 p.m., followed by an Opposition motion at the adjournment.
On Thursday, September 10, Parliament will debate a Resolution under the Women’s Empowerment Act.
The final sitting day of the week, Friday, September 11, has been allocated from 11.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. for several Private Members’ Motions.
The motions will cover issues including regulation of the petroleum, fuel and water industries, measures to increase the birth rate, protection of the Diyagama Forest, pension deductions affecting Pirivena teachers, food-crop cultivation in mountainous areas, development of the Kithul industry and the establishment of a Faculty of Medicine at South Eastern University.
Questions at the adjournment will be taken up at the end of each sitting day.
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Showers in the Sabaragamuwa, Western and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts
Sun directly overhead Mannar, Periyamadu, Puliyankulam, Welioya and Pulmoddai about 12.11 noon today (30)
Lanka tracks 11 US-sanctioned Iranian tankers off coast
House to debate abolition of Chief of Defence Staff post
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