Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Sri Lankan navy arrests 83 Australia-bound asylum seekers


English.news.cn   2012-08-20 19:32:40
           
COLOMBO, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan navy on Monday arrested 83 people who were heading to Australia illegally on two boats to seek asylum, a navy spokesman said.
The two boats were intercepted off the eastern seas of Trincomalee, navy spokesman Kosala Warnakulasuriya said.
One trawler had 39 people on board, including 31 minority Tamils and eight Sinhalese while the other boat had 44 people, including 35 Tamils, six Sinhalese and three Muslims, the navy said.
Most of those who were arrested are residents of war-affected towns in the north and east of the country.
The navy said that the arrested were handed over to the police for further investigations.
The Sri Lanka navy has arrested 962 asylum seekers heading to Australia so far this year before the latest arrests.
Meanwhile, some Sri Lankans have managed to reach Australia and have been detained on two islands by the Australian authorities.
Sri Lanka and Australia have an agreement on curbing illegal asylum seekers, most of whom claim they face various forms of abuses back home.
The Sri Lankan government has rejected charges of the people being abused especially after the end of a 30-year war with the Tamil Tiger rebels three years ago.
Editor: Deng Shasha