Charles Haviland BBC Colombo

The would-be emigrants were arrested last week; 14 are in custody while four other people suspected of trying to arrange their departure have now been detained.

	some people displaced after war are eager to leave the country

The Sri Lankan authorities say these people, most of them Tamil, were being exploited by human traffickers, and have told people not to fall prey to this.

Boat people

Some have been released but most have been remanded in custody for two weeks.

Four months ago another fishing vessel was intercepted carrying a larger number of Sri Lankans, 44. The authorities are not happy with the fact that citizens are still leaving the country, albeit in lower numbers than just after the civil war.

In the past, international human rights groups have said they are fleeing political persecution. Others including the International Organisation for Migration say economic factors play a major role.

Economic migrants

	Government posters warning Tamil migrants against boat journeys to Australia

A Sri Lankan source who did not want to be named told the BBC that many people here feel they’ll have better economic prospects abroad, and said some Tamils felt especially insecure about their future, with particular economic difficulties in the former war zone.

In the past, though not on this occasion, the Sri Lankan government has accused some would-be emigrants of being linked to the Tamil Tigers.

Tough rules

Australia, said to be these people’s target country, is trying to toughen up its rules.

Last year it and Malaysia signed an agreement whereby Malaysia will process all asylum-seekers arriving in Australia by sea. But Indonesia, a common transit-point, says it is now relaxing its visa rules for four Asian countries – Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh