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Future of 41 Ukrainian seafarers in Batam still uncertain
The prolonged political and economic crisis in Ukraine has left 41 Ukrainian citizens, who worked as crew members in the Ocean Green, a refrigerated cargo ship that has been stranded in Galang Island waters in Riau Islands, to an increasingly uncertain fate
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he prolonged political and economic crisis in Ukraine has left 41 Ukrainian citizens, who worked as crew members in the Ocean Green, a refrigerated cargo ship that has been stranded in Galang Island waters in Riau Islands, to an increasingly uncertain fate.
The head of the Batam Port Office, Hery Setiobudi, told The Jakarta Post on Monday that the office had ordered PT Batam Samudera, the Ocean Green's agent, to immediately send letters to the Panamanian and Ukrainian embassies in Jakarta to ask them to handle the problem affecting the Panama-flagged cargo ship and its crew members without delay.
Following the Ukraine crisis, the ship could not return back to its country because of a number of problems, including unsettled payments. In the meantime, the travel documents of its crew members expired.
'The ship is still being detained in waters near Batam Island. We are still withholding its shipping documents. As port authority, we have asked the ship's shipping agent to immediately report the case to both the Panamanian and Ukrainian embassies in Jakarta; however, there is no progress,' said Hery.
He further explained that the Batam Port Office had ordered the port's harbor master to not allow the Ocean Green to leave Batam waters until all of its problems were settled.
According to the Batam Immigration Office, the visas of the 41 crew members expired on Nov. 7.
Prasetyo, director of PT Bias Delta Pratama, a company that manages the lay-up services of foreign vessels operating in waters around Galang Island, said he had sent a letter to the Ukrainian government through its embassy in Jakarta, asking it to deal with the Ukrainian citizens.
Ocean Green was rented by Oceanic Pte Ltd., a Singaporean company. The vessel has not yet settled the fee charges worth up to US $400,000 to Bias Delta Pratama.
Prasetyo said he was apprehensive about the condition of the 41 crew members, whose ship had been parked in Batam waters since July. The crew members had to survive on a ship that ran out of water and fuel for generating electricity and had no more food. Some of the crew members were reported to have been sick. (ebf)(+++)
