MADURAI: A Sri Lankan court on Monday released six Rameswaram fishermen, who were arrested by the Lankan Navy in August for allegedly trespassing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) for fishing. They are expected to return to their hometown in two days. Several fishermen associations, which were staging an indefinite strike from September 10, have called off a protest meeting slated for Tuesday. However, they will continue to carry out the strike.
Earlier on August 28, the fishermen and their boats were seized. Later, the court sentenced the fishermen to 14 days in judicial custody. On Monday, all six of them were produced before the court.
"Even though the fishermen have been released, other important demands such as retrieval of seized boats and compensation for the owners, have not been addressed by the State or the Union governments. Hence, we have decided to continue the strike until the demands are met," said a member of the fishermen association.