Sri Lankan navy intercepts more boats

Authorities in Sri Lanka say they've arrested 131 would-be asylum seekers heading to Australia.

Naval officials say they've seized a fishing trawler being used for the people-smuggling operation.
The navy detected the boat carrying 109 people off the east coast of Sri Lanka and has escorted it to the port of Trincomalee.
A police spokesman says they've arrested another 22 people suspected of preparing to leave the island illegally on a different trawler.
The number of Sri Lankans detained on charges of illegally trying to leave the country has reached more than 250 over the last week.
The Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Australia, Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe says authorities are unable to stop people from trying to get to Australia by sea.
However he said that towing back boats of asylum seekers does deter them from trying again.
Admiral Samarasinghe says that over the weekend the Sri Lankan Navy forced one asylum seeker boat back to shore and stopped another from leaving.
"They are brought back, physically stopped at sea, boarded, boat is taken over like any other coast guard or the navy can do and taken to the harbour," he said.
Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-07-16/an-sri-lanka-boats/4132716?section=australianetworknews