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Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008
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“Sri Lankan Navy won’t fire on Indian fishermen”

Special Correspondent

— Photo: M. Vedhan

National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan presenting a bouquet to Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi at the Secretariat on Monday.

CHENNAI: Sri Lanka has assured India that there will be no firing by the Sri Lankan Navy on Indian fishermen hereafter, M.K. Narayanan, National Security Adviser, said on Monday.

In the event of arrest of the fishermen, they would be released in the “shortest possible time.” They would be given “humanitarian treatment as far as possible,” and there would be no “maltreatment” of the Indian fishermen, Mr. Narayanan told journalists, emerging from a 40-minute-long meeting with Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and senior officials of the State government at the Secretariat.

Describing as “positive understanding” the outcome of discussions at bilateral meetings between India and Sri Lanka early this month prior to the summit of the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation, Mr. Narayanan said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in his meeting with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa went into great detail on each of the points raised by the Chief Minister in his letter to Dr. Singh and personal discussions with him. On the basis of the discussions, a “tentative understanding” was reached, he said.

On the demand of some parties for the retrieval of Kachatheevu ceded to Sri Lanka [under the 1974 bilateral agreement], Mr. Narayanan said: “international treaties and agreement cannot be changed overnight. If there is any requirement, that will be discussed at the appropriate time.” To a question whether the fishermen would be allowed to carry out their operations in the islet, he said the government had raised the issue of traditional rights enshrined in the 1974 agreement. “We believe that the Sri Lankan side is willing to accept that there are certain traditional fishing rights that should be observed,” he said, adding that the details would be finalised in the next few weeks.

To a query whether India would walk out of the 123 agreement, if some countries put unacceptable conditions in the draft waiver at the Nuclear Suppliers Group meeting, likely to take place next month, Mr. Narayanan retorted: “Why should you anticipate and be speculative? We are hopeful that we will get the NSG through.”

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