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"I escaped through a window about 5 feet high and came running to a Somali village. I am happy that I was able to come back". That was what Mr. Niroshan Perera who escaped from Somalian pirates said after coming back to Sri Lanka after 3 years.
Niroshan Perera who was living in Munnakkara, Negombo and 61 year old Mohammed Isthami from Wellampitiya, Colombo were the two who had come back alive. Representatives of the International Organisation for Migrants of United Nations Organisation from the Sri Lanka Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya took a hand in bringing both of them to their country and sent them across Qatar.
Niroshan Perera who arrived here, expressed his ideas in this manner: "11 of us were kept as hostages. I told the other 10 that if we wait like this .... we would die. So .... even if we die, let's escape from here. We discussed together and jumped out from a window about 5 and a half feet high and came running across the forest to a Somalian village. It was after 3 and a half years that we came. We are happy that we were able to return once more".
This is what Mr. Mohammed Isthami said: "There were 10 sea pirates who were posted as guards at the camp where we were imprisoned. We gave them sleeping tablets for them to fall asleep. But they ate some leaves like ganja. Then it's supposed to be that they don't fall asleep. Some of these pirates who were posted as guards for our detention camp got friendly with us. We asked them to rescue us. They had informed about this to an organisation unknown to us and had taken 2 lakhs of dollars from them. It was such a plan that we were able to escape.
Among the eleven who managed to save their lives there were 2 Sri Lankans, 7 from Bangladesh and one each from India and Iran.
Mr. Niroshan living in Munnakkara, Negombo who saved his life was afforded a welcome b Catholic devotees in the village by lighting crackers and in addition a special service was held at the church dedicated to St. Nicholas in that village.
A large number of relations from both sides were present to welcome the two of them. It was the International Organisation for Migrants of the United Nations, the Sri Lankan Embassy of Korea and the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs who had mediated and were instrumental in getting them down to this country.
Report -- Ranjith Ferdinandez