Sri Lanka Will Allow Unarmed Indian Vessels to Carry Relief Aid to Tamils

The Sri Lankan government, whose navy turned back an Indian relief flotilla earlier this month, agreed Monday to let unarmed Indian vessels bring supplies for Tamils in the Jaffna Peninsula.

The accord, concluded as government troops consolidated gains from a weeklong offensive against Tamil separatist guerrillas in the peninsula, was announced by the Foreign Ministry in New Delhi and confirmed in Colombo, capital of Sri Lanka.

It said supplies will be inspected by Sri Lankan officials before loading, escorted by the Sri Lankan navy into the island nation’s waters and unloaded and distributed under the supervision of the Colombo government.

The Sri Lankan navy on June 3 stopped a flotilla of Indian fishing boats trying to bring supplies for the Tamils of Jaffna, whom New Delhi said were near starvation after a blockade and the army’s anti-guerrilla offensive.

Colombo, which denied the starvation charges, said it would only accept supplies once the means of delivery and distribution were agreed on by the two governments.

India responded by sending transport planes and fighters into Sri Lankan airspace on June 4 to drop 25 tons of supplies to Tamils in Jaffna--an action denounced by Colombo as an outrage and a violation of its sovereignty.