India’s gifting of a coast guard ship to the Sri Lankan government has been slammed by MDMK chief Vaiko on Sunday.
“This is an unforgivable betrayal of Eelam Tamils and Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Indian government,” said the leader of the MDMK, adding such vessels have been "used for killing Tamils in Sri Lanka".
The ship, initially given to Sri Lanka in 2006 " in appreciation of the Sri Lanka Navy’s efforts to maintain the maritime security in the region", was formally handed over to the Sri Lankan authorities last week.
Vaiko claimed "the vessel is an evidence of the use of Indian Navy to finish off the Sea Tigers by Sri Lankan Naval forces."
He was joined in his criticism by PMK chief Ramadoss who said "the ship is going to be used against Tamil Nadu fishermen." He went on to add that during the armed conflict "Sri Lanka used this ship to kill Eelam Tamils".
"Sri Lanka is never going to be of help in India's defence," added Ramadoss.
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
