We want our Fishermen back home soon!

My Colleague Gayan Ambegoda, in the media unit has been posted a video quoting from the Hiru TV. There are 213 fishermen held in Chennai central jail and Tuticorine in Tamil Nadu for more than 3 months now. Most of those fishermen are from Thoduwawa, Negombo, CHilaw, Trincomalee and Kalpitiya areas. Fisher communities around Negombo, Chilaw areas have been fighting in the streets. GOSL is attempting to take time and now they have pushed their leaders from the parallel structures to save the Ministry and the government. BBC London service approached me inquiring some of the information which was seems a kind of planted story. The deputy minister is highly articulated about the arrested fishermen and angry with the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jeyalalitha. This is some what absurd position as the central governments in New Delhi and Colombo should take necessary steps to release the fishermen when they are arrested. The Joint Fisheries Working Group is the structure to accelerate the release of fishermen and send them back home. We, NAFSO wants to get the support from all possible parties to bring the fishermen back home and will facilitate a dialogue with Rev. Bandiwewe Diyasena Thero to mediate and assist us to bring the fishermen as earliest. The News Item appeared in the Hiry TV could be visited through the link below. Herman