Lanka frees Indians amid tension over fisherman killing

Sri Lanka will release Indian fishermen held for poaching as the two countries try to defuse tension along their maritime border after the killing of a fisherman, an official said yesterday. Local authorities will free 85 Indian fishermen held in custody since early this year without pressing charges, with India expected to reciprocate and release all 19 Sri Lankans in their custody.

“Both sides have decided to release all those fishermen in their custody,” a senior government source said, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to talk to the media. The move follows Sri Lanka’s announcement Tuesday that it had agreed to a joint investigation into the killing of an Indian fisherman in the narrow strip of sea between the two countries.

The victim, who was reported to be 21, was shot dead Monday and Indian fishermen have said the Sri Lankan navy was responsible, an allegation Colombo has flatly denied. Fishermen from the two countries often stray into each others’ waters, creating diplomatic difficulties, though most are detained. It was the first death in six years. The latest incident was the worst since two Indian fishermen were shot dead in Sri Lankan waters in January 2011.

It has triggered protests in the Indian coastal town of Rameswaram where the victim was from. India and Sri Lanka are separated by the narrow Palk Strait, which is a rich fishing ground. In 2014 Sri Lanka passed the death penalty on five Indian fishermen convicted of drug smuggling, but they were later released to Indian custody. — AFP