Italy, India cross over killing of fishermen mistaken for pirates

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REPORTING FROM NEW DELHI -- A senior Italian envoy met with top Indian diplomats Wednesday in an unsuccessful bid to resolve a festering dispute after an Italian oil tanker fired on an Indian fishing vessel, killing two.

The issue has created significant anger and outrage, leading to demonstrations and pressure on the Indian government to take a strong line. “Cold Blooded Killers,” said an editorial in the Pioneer newspaper, which called the Italian crew “trigger-happy,” “belligerent” and “just like Italy’s ruthless mafia.”

The attack occurred last week when marines on the Italian vessel Enrica Lexie fired on an Indian fishing boat with 11 fishermen aboard, apparently mistaking them for pirates. Press accounts differ, but suggest that the tanker continued on its voyage to Egypt for another two hours before reporting the incident to Indian authorities. The tanker was then intercepted by the Indian coast guard and brought to port in Kochi, leading to the arrest of two of the six Italian naval guards aboard.

Italy has acknowledged the shooting and apologized but maintains that it happened in international waters. It also says the accused should be tried in Italian courts, by the U.N. or through diplomatic channels. India claims the incident occurred in its exclusive economic zone, giving it jurisdiction.

‘We will go by our law,’ said Indian State Minister of External Affairs Preneet Kaur after Wednesday’s meeting. ‘We assured them that our judiciary is free and it will take a right decision.’

India has one of the creakiest court systems in the world, and cases can sometimes last decades. However, this issue has apparently been put on a fast track, with both sides expressing interest in resolving the crisis soon. A lawsuit filed by a widow of one of the dead fisherman this week demanded $200,000 compensation and detention of the ship.

Rome wants the issue handled out of the courts. Indian media reported that Italy has sought the Vatican’s assistance in resolving the issue, although this could not be confirmed.

After the Italian deputy foreign minister, Staffan De Mistura, met with Indian officials Wednesday, he was scheduled to visit the dead fishermen’s families to try to ease public anger amid hopes of a political solution. The delegation included members of Italy’s foreign, defense and justice ministries, with a follow-up visit by Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi slated for next week.

Indian authorities planned to search the ship Wednesday for the assault weapons allegedly used in the attack. The Italian captain had refused to hand them over, arguing that they belonged to the Italian navy.

Italy’s case in India wasn’t helped when Terzi said Tuesday from Rome that the arrest of the two marines would hamper the international fight against piracy.

“If we had coastal countries assuming jurisdiction over anti-piracy operations, of course none of this would work anymore,’ he said.

K.P. Fabian, a former Indian ambassador to Italy, said this was the most serious crisis between the two countries he could recall.

“If the Italian side on Day 1 had expressed its regrets, I think it would have been less of a problem,” he said. “Those responsible should be brought to justice and compensation appropriated.”

India maintains that the crew should have known that pirates don’t operate so close to India’s coast. But vessel operators are jittery these days. Although 30 navies now patrol the Indian Ocean, attacks by Somali pirates rose 8% to 237 in 2011. According to London’s International Maritime Bureau, an industry group, 802 crew members were taken hostage last year with eight killed and 159 still held. A 2010 estimate put the global cost of piracy at $7 billion to $12 billion annually.

The public outcry over the last week stands in contrast to numerous cases of Indian fishermen being shot and killed in waters bordering Sri Lanka. Last year, at least nine were killed and 30 injured allegedly by the Sri Lankan navy, according to press reports, down from 25 or more killed in years past.

“The Indian government feels it can handle these diplomatically,” said Gulbin Sultana, an analyst with New Delhi’s Institute of Defense Studies and Analysis, a think tank, in explaining the difference between India’s reactions to the violent maritime encounters.

N. Bhaskara Rao, chairman of New Delhi’s Center for Media Studies, said the Italy story has received greater play in part because a neighbor is viewed differently from a far off power in any society. In addition, he said, the vocal Kerala media ran with the story before the governments really got involved.

“The issue was blown out before it could be sorted out,” he said.

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-- Mark Magnier