The Sri Lankan navy has announced that some 300 people have been rescued at sea by Singapore authorities after the boat they were traveling in, allegedly in an illegal immigration attempt, began to sink.
Sri Lanka Navy spokeswoman Indika de Silva said Monday that a passenger on the ship had contacted the Navy and said the vessel was in distress.
The Maritime Rescue Coordination Center in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo then looked to Singapore, Vietnam and the Philippines for help.
Subsequently, the Singapore authorities notified Sri Lanka that the people on board the ship had been rescued and were to be taken to Vietnam.
Indika de Silva said the Navy only has official knowledge of the presence of a Sri Lankan citizen on board the ship, and the identities of the other passengers will be determined after they disembark in Vietnam.
In the past, Sri Lankans have taken dangerous and illegal boat trips to escape the long civil war that has afflicted Sri Lanka.
Some Sri Lankans are now once again trying to emigrate illegally to other countries to escape the economic crisis in Sri Lanka.
This island nation has been experiencing its worst economic crisis for a year since its independence from the British Empire in 1948.
Added to the high inflation was the drop in international reserves, which led the government to declare a suspension of payments and to negotiate a rescue plan with the IMF that has not yet been drawn up.
This situation has given rise to protests across the island since the end of March, when thousands of people began to take to the streets to demand the resignation of then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
On July 9, civil unrest culminated in the invasion of Rajapaksa’s official residence and the private residence of then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, forcing the president from office and the country.
Wickremesinghe, now the country’s president, assured last week that the government’s goal is to reach an agreement with the IMF by January of next year.
Source: TSF
