Rameswaram:
Sixteen fishermen from thisisland were injured in a mid-sea attack allegedly by SriLankan Naval personnel while fishing near the internationalmaritime boundary line (IMBL) in the Palk Strait, police said.
The Lankan Naval personnel allegedly attacked the fishermenwith wooden logs, stones, bottles resulting in fracture to a25-year old fisherman and bruises and bleeding injuries toothers last night, police said.
Mathiazhagan, who suffered the fracture, has been admittedto the government hospital here while several other fishermen,whose back were swollen with weals and bruises, were treatedat private hospitals, they said.
Mathiazhagan said it was a "brutal" attack by the Lankannavalmen who surrounded 25 boats of the fishermen. "Theydamaged the boats, snapped the fishing nets and lashed uswith logs and pelted stones," he said.
A Fisheries Departmet official described the attack as aviolation of human rights.
Local fishermen association leaders Sesu and Devarajalleged the Sri Lankans, who had come in a Naval ship,intimidated and frightened the fishermen.
The two slammed the Centre for remaining 'mute spectator'to the recurring attacks on fishermen of Tamil Nadu.
Referring to the prompt action taken in recent incidents ofkilling of two fishermen off Kerala coast by Marines onboardItalian oil tanker and hit-and-run case allegedly involving aSingapore flagged ship, they sought to know "Why theGovernment is silent even after 300 fishermen had been killedby the Lankan Naval men (over the recent years)."
They also demanded that the government take steps torecover the fish catch seized by Sri Lankan navalmen and alsofile a case for attacking "innocent" fishermen.