India has said it will take up Sri Lankan PM Ranil Wickremsinghe’s comments to a Tamil Nadu channel, during the talks between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her counterpart Malngala Samaraweera today. “We hope to work with Sri Lanka in a peaceful & diplomatic manner on the fishermen issue, which is an emotive issue,” spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said ahead of the talks in Colombo.
During an interview to Tamil channel Thanthi TV, Mr. Wickremsinghe said it was legitimate for the Sri Lankan navy to “shoot fishermen” if they trespass into Sri Lankan water. “Why are [they] coming into our waters? Why are [they] fishing in our waters...? Stay on the Indian side... There will be no issue...No one will shoot anyone else...You stay on the Indian side, Let our fishermen stay on the Sri Lankan side... Otherwise don’t make accusations of Human rights violation by the Navy,” he said in unusually tough comments, especially given Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit which is due next Friday.
India has often taken up the case of Tamil fishermen being shot at by Sri Lankan naval patrols, and Ms Swaraj was expected to take up the case of 86 fishermen who were arrested just this week on charges of trespassing and illegal fishing. “If someone tries to break into my house, I can shoot,” said Mr. Wickremsinghe, “ If he gets killed...Law allows me to do that... On the fishermen issue, As far as I'm concerned, I have very very strong lines.” Accusing India of double standards over friction with the Lankan government, while sticking by its position on Italian marines accused of killing Indian fishermen, he said , “Why do you all pick up the Italian sailors...? You say you are friendly with Italy, show that same magnanimity to Italy that you want us to show. “
In other remarks that will raise eyebrows in Delhi, Mr. Wickremsinghe also told Tamil channel Thanthi TV that Indian politicians may have developed “amnesia” over the fact that India had assisted President Rajapaksa in the LTTE war of 2009. “Without the help of India, President Rajapaksa could have not wiped out the LTTE . He got that help & he agreed to give concessions even beyond the 13th amendment...But he did not do so...,” the Sri Lankan PM said.
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When asked specifically about the UPA’s denials of help to Sri Lanka, especially because of opposition from its alliance partners the DMK, he said, “Amnesia, you know is very common among politicians.”
During the interview, Mr. Wickremsinghe accused the TNA government in the Northern Province and the CM CV Wigneswaran of being “irresponsible” in passing a resolution for an international genocide investigation to look into allegations dating back to the 1970s. The Sri Lankan PM said, in that case, not only would the Sri Lankan government, and the LTTE have to be charged with killings, but so would the Indian Peacekeeping Forces that went in to assist in the late 1980s. “Casualties took place under Sri Lankan security forces, IPKF and also by LTTE... But to say that it was only the Government of Sri Lanka (is wrong),?” he added, saying that any inquiry should include killings by the Indian forces too.