Free our Fishermen! Fisher families to street!

On the 10th of March, the Six fishing families came to the streets and held a protest against the Sri Lankan government’s slow action to bring back the “Lorenzo Putha 4” Vessel and the Sri Lankan fishermen who were rescued from the hands of Somali pirates. The Movement of Christian Women’s Voice was also sensitive to this issue and appealed to the President to focus on the task of bringing in fishermen to Sri Lanka.

The members of the Six fishermen stranded in Port Victoria in Seychelles, launched a protest for about two hours beginning at 4.30 pm in the Kudamaduwella area in Thoduwawa, holding placards noted, “Mr. President, bring our fathers quickly”,  “Bring back our fathers immediately”, “Bring our fishermen and boat to Sri Lanka quickly”, “Soon bring our children back, saved from pirates”, “Wake up the authorities – listen to our grief”.

Loyal Fernando, a fisher leader of Kudamaduwella village also attended the protest and told Mojo News that this incident was very pathetic because it was already one month gone, but our Ministries of Fisheries and Foreign could not attend properly to involve this matter to bring these fishermen to Sri Lanka.

“The big problem or the danger of this matter is over,  fishermen have already been safe because the coast guard of Seychelles saved their lives from Somali pirates. But our authorities could not correctly interfere with this matter.”

“But we urgently request the leaders of our country “Please attend to this need” Loyal added.

Six Sri Lankan fishermen and their vessel “Lorenzo Putha 04” were rescued safely by the Seychelles Coast Guard from the Somali Pirates on the 27th of February in the Arab Sea.

“Then Seychelles State wanted the Sri Lanka government to take immediate action with necessary steps with the aim of sending  Fishermen and vessels back to Sri Lanka,” told Mojo News the owner of the Vessel Francis Milroy.

“I have talked with the Ambassador in Seychelles over the phone and I was told that at the beginning itself, they informed Sri Lanka and inquired about the court case. They have asked whether Sri Lanka wants to hear the case in Sri Lanka or Seychelles. But they have not got a reply till last Friday.” said Milroy.

“Even though now they have sent to Seychelles the needed paper/s we don’t know how far this issue will go to see an end.” he added.

“I have three small children. I bought books to send them to school, taking out a loan. Also, I am expecting another baby and It has been 7 months now. But I have not bought anything for the baby. We have no way to buy new clothes for the baby. We have no way to live. We are not getting any help from the government either. Therefore, we request the Sri Lanka authorities to bring our husbands soon.” Harsha Priyangika, one of fisher women, spoke very sympathetically to the media during the protest.

Another fisherwoman who attended the protest for their husband’s release, carrying an infant two months old crying, told the media and said “My husband did not see the baby. She is still two months old. I beg you all Please bring our husbands to Sri Lanka, soon. We can not live without them.” She said.

At the request of the Parish Priest of the Holy Rosary Church in the Kudamaduwella village – coastal belt, several Catholics joined the protest with the support of stranded fishermen at Port Victoria.

The vessel is still anchored in Port Victoria in Seychelles.  The Six fishermen issued a short video message to Sri Lanka authorities last week saying, “There is no use staying here. We have nothing to do here and we have done nothing wrong. Our people at home are hungry.  The government also does not care about our people. So, we urge all to take steps to release us from this place” and they started a hunger strike while expressing their struggle,talked to the video by the Skipper Rakitha Dushan.

“There are a lot of children in these six fishing families and these children and their parents are very helpless. The people concerned should help them to face their lives until they get a sustainable solution.” The Co-conveners of the Movement of Christian Women’s Voice told Mojo News.

Last week – March 06, the Movement of Christian Women’s Voice  (MCWV)  also sent a letter to the President regarding the issue of the “Lorenzo Putha 04” vessel and requested the President to take immediate steps to free the vessel with the six young fishermen who are stranded in the Victoria Port in desperation.

In the letter to the President, the Movement of Christian Women’s Voice (MCWV) points out that “it is a crime in several aspects”  to allow these young fishermen who have saved their lives to be detained in this way for more than a month.

“In this way, youth labor is stuck in one place, on the one hand. And on the other hand, it has been stopped as one of the ways to provide foreign exchange to the country. Also, because they are not engaged in their livelihood, they do not get money. Therefore, the members of these fishing families are facing severe social and economic problems.” stated in the letter of the Movement of Christian Women’s Voice to President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

END.