Five Sri Lankan Immigrants Jump into the Sea

Illustration (internet)

Dozens of Sri Lankan immigrants who stay on the boat MV Alicia, in the waters Tanjungpinang, Riau Islands province began to hunger and illness.

Some are daring jump into the sea on Wednesday this week, Tanjungpinang police waters declared a Sri Lankan immigrants disappeared after jumping into the sea.

Tharma palan, one of the immigrants who jumped into the sea, as reported by the site kepri.antaranews.com said, immigrants who jumped into the sea as many as five people. Besides himself, there are four other immigrants, namely Prem Kumar, Syakaran, Kajan and Theepan.

Two of his four colleagues, namely Kajan and Theepan is still missing.

According to the waters police of Tanjungpinang, immigrants who jumped into the sea only four people, three survived and one was missing. Three immigrant survivors of Tharma Palan, Prem Kumar and Syakaran. However, police have yet to mention the identity of an immigrant who is still missing.

Police said the number of immigrants who lost only one man after the re-count the number of immigrants on board the MV Alicia anchorage in the waters Penyengat Island, Tanjungpinang.

Sri Lankan illegal immigrants who stay on board the MV Alicia numbering about 87 people, consisting of 71 men and 8 women and children.

The illegal immigrants were originally going to sail to New Zealand and Canada to seek asylum. However, they then arounded in the waters of the Strait of Riau, Batam and then secured the police waters of the Riau Islands.

Since secured police, dozens of immigrants were maintained on the ship since July 10, 2011 with limited food supplies.

According Tharma Palan, he and his friends jumped from the ship at around 0:30 am and swam for two hours to the Penyengat Island.

"Two of our colleagues the wrong direction and did not know where," he said. Two of his colleagues who were reported missing and it is Kajan Theepan.

Tharma said they fled because of an illness and want to be hospitalized, while the captain forbade them to be treated.

The ship's captain, he said, prevented them from meeting with the parties International Organization for Migration / IOM for treatment.

"No sugar, fish, meat and salt in a ship that is just rice," said Prem Kumar, a Sri Lankan immigrant who jumped from the MV Alicia.

Prem Kumar said the condition of Sri Lankan immigrants 87 people inside the MV Alicia concern. In addition to food shortages are also shortages of water.

They are forced to economize use of mineral water. A small bottle of mineral water to meet the needs for two days.

"On the ship there was no food. There was only rice. We are also shortages of drinking water," said Prem Kumar. (kepri online daily)