REFUGEE

Colombo: Since the successful conclusion of the decades-long war Sri Lanka Navy has been providing humanitarian assistance to uplift the conflict-affected villages in Eastern Sri Lanka.

Naval personnel attached to Naval Deployment Pulmoddai under the guidance of its Commanding Officer recently restored the power supply to the village of Kokilai.

Kokilai is a lagoon village that has been doubly devastated by the war and the 2004 tsunami.

The Naval personnel repaired a generator given to the villagers by a NGO for electricity generation. The generator had remained dysfunctional for several years due to LTTE terrorist activities and non-availability of technicians, the Navy said.

The Navy with the assistance of Brandix Lanka Ltd, installed water tanks at convenient locations in the drought-affected Pulmoddai for villagers to obtain potable water.

Sri Lanka Navy rescued a distressed multi-day fishing trawler with a crew of six in the deep seas off the Eastern coast yesterday.

According to the Navy the vessel had been drifting for three days due to an engine failure.

The 40-foot-long multi-day fishing trawler named "Samagi 05" had left the Dickwella Fisheries Harbour on December 5th with the six-man crew. It ran into trouble on the 13th and was drifting when the the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources contacted the Navy for assistance.

A Navy Fast Vessel dispatched for the rescue towed the trawler with its crew to the safety at Codbay Fisheries Harbour on Thursday.

The peacetime Sri Lanka Navy renders assistance to the fishermen in-need and dispatches its craft on rescue missions.

Dec 11, Colombo: Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy Vice Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe marking the Navy's 59th Anniversary celebrations ceremonially launched the VVIP Passenger craft built by the Navy yesterday (Dec 10).

The luxurious vessel named "Admiralty Craft' was refurbished at the Inshore Patrol Craft Construction Site at SLNS Mahasen in Welisara exclusively for VVIP excursions, Naval sources said.

According to the sources it is entirely designed and built by the Navy in a record time of six months under the direction of Commander of the Navy. Director General Engineering Rear Admiral MAJ de Costa closely supervised the task force until its completion.

The craft is 15.58 meters (51 feet) in length and 3.33 meters (11 feet) in breadth. It is powered by two engines of 3500 Horse Power capacity each and comes fully air-conditioned with TV and a Home Theatre system. The craft has a maximum speed of 28 knots and travels very comfortably in sea state 03. It can accommodate 14 passengers and has a crew of 11, sources added.

Dec 10, Colombo: Sri Lanka Navy plays a crucial role in the ongoing development process and despite the fact that the war has ended, the Navy has an immense work load ahead, the Navy Commander Vice Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe said.

Addressing the media briefing held at the Media Center for national Security today to commemorate the 59th anniversary of the Sri Lanka Navy that fell on yesterday, the Commander said the Navy offers the first point of security for the country, being an island and it has to guard both the High seas as well as the coastline of the countryCommander Samarasinghe stressing the importance of preventing the vanquished terrorist outfit from rising again said that the Navy is striving to completely eradicate the illegal arms and human smuggling trade in the country.

There will be marshalling points along the coastline of Sri Lanka to monitor and prevent any illegal activities taking place on the beaches. The Navy will initiate a mechanism to ensure that no ship, boat or vessel of any kind to leave or enter any point of the island without the knowledge of the Sri Lanka Navy, the Commander said.

He said the Navy plans to expand both in manpower and infrastructure. It has already ordered six more Fast Attack Craft from Israel which are due to be delivered in January.

Addressing the Indian fishermen issue Commander Samarasinghe said the Navy is bound to aid the fisherman at all times. A proper management process is need to curb the illegal fishing in the Sri Lankan waters although the Navy has good bilateral relationship with the Indian authorities.

"It is a complicated issue despite all the friendship between the two countries which prevail," Vice Admiral Samarasinghe said.