WhatsApp message to the letter of Northern Navy Commander.

It says, 1. It is, in fact, the duty of the navy to prevent the Indian fisherman from crossing the border, but the Navy has chosen to not to do so. Therefore, the local fisherman have taken matters in their hands. 2. This is an illegal or unlawful letter written by the Northern Navy commander, because he is interfering into civil matters, which is the subject matter of the law enforcement authorities, and not of the security forces. 3. If the local fishermen are engaged in “UNWARRANTED CRIMINAL ACTS,” that has to be dealt by the Police and Judiciary Departments. 4. The navy can, of course, always put forward any “request” in front of other state-institutions. However, does the navy have any “authority” or “rights” to send “orders” (written or verbal), in this manner, - to the Police Department, the Fisheries Department and to the local fishing communities? 5. Such a letter would have been okay, if it was sent as a “request” to the relevant authorities, by the Indian High Commission or by the Foreign Ministry of Sri Lanka; but, the Navy has no authority to give such “orders”. 6. According to this letter, it is clear that - not only the Sri Lanka Navy is NOT supportive to the Sri Lankan fishermen, but also expecting them to not to confront the Indians. 7. Now, the question is - whether the Navy Commander had acted on his own and written this letter, or he was instructed from the top to do so. 8. When we observe the current diplomatic developments between India and Sri Lanka, we can easily make an assumption that the Navy Commander had not acted on his own. We urge from our Navy, Coast Guard and authorities to take action to prevent foreign fishing vessels including Indian trawler invasion in to Sri Lankan waters illegally. Then there is no any necessity to mediate Sri Lankan fishermen to take “unwarranted, unlawful, criminal, actions”. It is our Navy’s duty to protect our EEZ and to prevent entering foreign fishing vessels through international maritime boundary line.(IMBL). So, we ask from government, where is the sovereignty of the people? Where is the protection to our people? How do you ensure to prevent ocean resource grabbing by foreign fishing vessels? We need answers from the authorities for these matters immediately. Once GOSL take necessary action to protect our waters, people need not to mediate such actions as Navy commander says.