10 more Sri Lankan refugees arrive in TN seeking asylum

MADURAI: A group of 10 Sri Lankan refugees landed at MR Chathiram North seashore near Dhanushkodi on Tuesday night, seeking asylum.

Sri Lanka has been experiencing economic crisis, which forced many citizens to flee the country. Most of them landed in different parts of the coastal areas of Ramanathapuram district seeking asylum in India, sources said. After inquiring the refugees, S Kanagaraj, Inspector of Police, Tamil Nadu Coastal Security Group, Rameswaram, said all of them had sailed by a same boat from Mannar, Sri Lanka and reached MR Chathiram around 9.30 pm.

Further inquiries revealed that the refugees altogether paid Rs 6 lakh to the boat operator. Much to their agony, a woman, who came with two children along with the 10-member group, had to sell her gold chain to pay for the boat ride to reach Tamil Nadu. Her husband died four months ago and her parents were living in a refugee camp in Tiruvannamalai district, the Inspector said.

The refugees were taken to the camp in Mandapam.

The members were identified as Buvaneshwari (44), wife of Tharmalingam, Poovaransankulam, Vavuniya, her son Vipushan (10), her daughter Sathursa (4), S Niyanson (20) of Kacherry, Jaffna, T Uthaya Suriyan (47) of Ganesapuram, Vavuniya, his wife Parimala Devi (44), his sons –Theemoth (23), Dilaxon (17), Joyer (12) and S Rekhan (17), sources said.