In the wake of two incidents in which fishermen from Tamil Nadu were arrested by the authorities in Indonesia and Seychelles, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin wrote to Union Minister for External Affairs S. Jaishankar on Thursday urging him to secure their immediate release .
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“I request your personal intervention in this matter and request you to take this up with the Indonesian and Seychelles authorities so as to secure the immediate release of the fishermen and their fishing boats,” Mr. Stalin said. A copy of the letter was shared with the media.
Five fishermen belonging to Tamil Nadu, along with three from Kerala, were apprehended by the Indonesian Air and Sea Police for allegedly entering into their waters and were taken to Ditpolairud Pier, Aceh, for legal proceedings. They went fishing on an Andaman registered fishing vessel on February 17.
According to fishermen’s associations, 33 fishermen and three mechanised boats left Kochi on February 22 and on March 7, they were apprehended by the Seychelles authority.