NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS ChINA SHIP IN MULLAITHIVU OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO m 4 CHINA mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Colombo Yan Xuyan said that the Chinese embassy have requested the Sri Lankan foreign ministry to take necessary action to find the missing fisherman after the fishing trawler Fu-Yuan-Yu 225 was attacked and sunken by an unknown group in Mullativu early this morning. The diplomat told The Lanka Academic that the fishing trawler had obtained the permission from the department of fisheries and aquatic resources and was fishing within the authorized area when the attack took place. He said that there were 23 Chinese crewmembers on board the vessel during the attack and 8 were rescued by another Chinese vessel. He added that the embassy has already sent officials to the area to ascertain the exact situation and they were deeply concerned about the development. Chinese Charge'd Affaires Zhang Weiguo is scheduled to meet Foreign Secretary Nihal Rodrigo to brief him on the attack. Even though the Navy confirmed that 17 Chinese nationals were killed in the attack Xuyan said, "We cannot say anything like that but to say that 15 people are missing."
[face=arial]Spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Colombo Yan Xuyan said that the Chinese embassy have requested the Sri Lankan foreign ministry to take necessary action to find the missing fisherman after the fishing trawler Fu-Yuan-Yu 225 was attacked and sunken by an unknown group in Mullativu early this morning. The diplomat told The Lanka Academic that the fishing trawler had obtained the permission from the department of fisheries and aquatic resources and was fishing within the authorized area when the attack took place. He said that there were 23 Chinese crewmembers on board the vessel during the attack and 8 were rescued by another Chinese vessel. He added that the embassy has already sent officials to the area to ascertain the exact situation and they were deeply concerned about the development. Chinese Charge'd Affaires Zhang Weiguo is scheduled to meet Foreign Secretary Nihal Rodrigo to brief him on the attack. Even though the Navy confirmed that 17 Chinese nationals were killed in the attack Xuyan said, "We cannot say anything like that but to say that 15 people are missing."[/face]
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) -- A suspected Tamil Tiger rebel boat attacked and sank a vessel carrying Chinese fishermen off eastern Sri Lanka, killing 17 people on board, the navy said Friday.
The sunken vessel was carrying 23 Chinese and three Sri Lankans. Nine people were rescued by another Chinese vessel after the attack, navy spokesman Jayantha Perera said.
"We believe other than those rescued, the rest have been killed," Perera said.
The motive for the attack was unclear, raising speculation that it may have been a case of mistaken identity. The rebels could have intended to attack the Sri Lankan navy in response to a March 10 attack on a rebel boat that killed 11 guerrillas. Earlier this week, the navy detained a rebel vessel suspected of transporting weapons.
The attack came as government and Tamil Tiger negotiators prepared to wrap up a sixth round of peace talks in Japan.
There was no comment from the rebels.
The two Chinese vessels -- Fu-Yung-yu 225 and 226 -- were carrying Chinese believed to be working on an "experimental fishing project," north of Mullativu -- a rebel stronghold. The Chinese were working on foreign projects in the capital, Colombo.
The navy said they had been warned several times against fishing in the area. Apparently the Chinese ignored the warning.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam are currently observing a cease-fire with government forces aimed at ending a 19-year civil war.
The rebels, who have their own navy, operate in the area. [/face]