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English.news.cn
2012-08-20 19:32:40
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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.
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Editor: Deng Shasha
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