Kokkilai Vadi controversy – Case filed against the Fisheries Department acting partial to Sinhala Fishermen
A case was filed by the Fisheries Department against Tamil fishermen who had put up Vadis in Kokkilai, Mullaitheevu.
Hearing in this case was taken up yesterday. Following Tamil fishermen being allocated their traditional right of fishing area, officially by the Divisional Secretariat, in an area encroached by Sinhala fishermen earlier, the Department of Fisheries had files this case against the Tamil Fishermen, as per an order received from Colombo.
Senior Attorneys at Law Paramsothy and Anton Punithanayagam appeared for the accused along with Attorneys at Law, Sarangi Rathika, Kaneswaran and Sutharsan. They pointed out that the Department acting this way amounts to being partial to fishermen of one race.
They brought to the attention of the court that, although several had illegally constructed vadis and building, the Department had left them all and pounced on the Tamil fishermen who had obtained proper permission to put up Vadis, and the Tamil fishermen had constructed their vadis within the area allocated to the by the Divisional Secretariat.
When the court called for evidence of ownership of disputed land, no evidence was submitted by the Department. Then the courts asked what is preventing the Tamil fishermen engaging in fishing, the department said that could be notified after studying documents.
The case was adjourned to November 15th.
