English.news.cn 2012-11-02
12:11:47
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COLOMBO, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan navy and
coast guard seized a boat heading to Australia with 43 illegal asylum seekers
onboard, the police said on Friday.
Police spokesman Priyashantha Jayakody said that the
boat experienced engine trouble and drifted near a fishing harbor in the
southern town of Beruwala.
He said that the boat had left for Australia on Oct.
22 from Puttalam in the northwestern part of the country, but subsequently
encountered engine fault.
After drifting at sea for several days the boat was
beached at the Beruwala harbor overnight and seized by the navy and coast
guard.
The police spokesman said that 33 men, eight women and
two children were found on the boat and they were handed over to the local
police.
He also said that seven human smugglers who were also
on board, had fled as soon as the boat reached the shore.
The asylum seekers are residents of Jaffna and Killinochchi
in the north and Trincomallee and Batticaloa in the east.
Hundreds of Sri Lankan asylum seekers had attempted to
flee to Australia this year by boat but many were arrested either in Sri Lanka
or Australia.
Sri Lanka and Australia are working together to stop
the flow of illegal asylum seekers to Australia but many still continue to make
the dangerous journey by sea.
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Editor: Tang Danlu
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