The M.V. Sun Sea entered an economic zone that Canada
claims within 200 miles (320 km) of Vancouver Island and was being tracked by a
Canadian navy warship that will intercept it as it nears land, officials said.
Officials believe there are between 400 and 500 people on
the boat, but the exact number and where they are from will not be known until
the ship is boarded by Canadian authorities, said the officials.
The ship would likely be escorted to Victoria, British
Columbia, and could arrive there as early as late Thursday or early Friday.
Reports have circulated for weeks that a vessel carrying
Tamil migrants fleeing Sri Lanka was headed to Canada. A boat with 76 Tamils
seeking refugee status arrived on Canada's Pacific coast in October.
"I can advise you that we have been watching this
boat for 2 1/2 months or perhaps even longer, and we have some idea of who is
on board," Public Safety Minister Vic Toews told CTV News on Wednesday.
The issue has created a quandary for the Canadian
government, which has treaty agreements to protect people fleeing persecution
but also wants to prevent large-scale human smuggling of Tamils leaving Sri
Lanka.
"Those responsible for migrant smuggling will be
pursued, investigated and prosecuted to the full extent of Canadian law and in
accordance with the provisions of international conventions and protocols,"
the Foreign Affairs Department said on Wednesday.
There is also concern that some of those on board may be
members of the Tamil Tigers, which fought an independence war against Sri
Lankan government forces. Canada considers the group an illegal terrorist
organization.
Similar accusations were made about migrants on the ship
that arrived on the West Coast last October. All 76 people on board were
eventually allowed to make refugee claims in Canada, which are still being
processed.
The Canadian Tamil Congress says the people on the Sun
Sea are likely civilians fleeing persecution and that the Sri Lankan government
claims they are Tamil Tigers to make their refugee claims in Canada more
difficult.
"They try to paint them with a bad brush right off
the bat," David Poopalapillai, a spokesman for the Tamil group, said in an
interview.
Toews would not confirm if the government believes Tamil
Tigers are involved with the boat, but hinted it was prepared for the
possibility.
"We are quite aware of potential issues that might
arise when this boat enters our territorial waters," he said.
