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Hundreds of Vietnamese fishermen repatriated from Batam
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Repatriated: Hundreds of Vietnamese fishermen wait for their repatriation to their home country from Batam, Riau Islands, on June 9. A Vietnamese coast guard vessel is to transport home the fishermen arrested for illegal fishing in Indonesian waters. (Antara/MN. Kanwa)
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Vietnamese Coast Guard vessel dropped anchor in Batam, Riau Islands, on Friday, to pick up 695 Vietnamese fishermen arrested and found guilty several years ago by Indonesian authorities for fishing illegally in the country’s waters.
The biggest ever repatriation of foreign fishermen was conducted based on an agreement between Indonesia and Vietnam.
The Indonesian government denied that the repatriation was part of a barter agreement for the return of crew members of a Fisheries and Maritime Resources Surveillance Agency (PSDKP) vessel, who had been taken hostage following a clash between the patrol vessel and a Vietnamese Coast Guard boat on May 21.
PSDKP director general Eko Djalmo Asmadi said the repatriation of the 695 fishermen had been long discussed by Vietnamese and Indonesian authorities.
“The repatriation itself was purely Indonesia’s initiative as we found it was too heavy for us to finance the living costs of those detainees,” he told The Jakarta Post after handing over the fishermen to the Vietnamese Coast Guard vessel on Friday.
Even after Friday’s repatriation, Eko said, 198 Vietnamese fishermen were still being detained in Batam as they must undergo legal processes after being charged for illegal fishing. Some of the fishermen had been detained for two years.
Maritime Security Board (Bakamla) chairman Vice Admiral Arie Soedewo, Vietnamese Ambassador to Indonesia Hoang Anh Tuan and Tanjung Pinang Naval Base commander Commodore Ribut Eko witnessed the repatriation of the Vietnamese fishermen. (ebf)
