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Indonesia 'sought balance' in handling of North Korean vessel
In April last year, the Navy captured the MV Wise Honest in waters off Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, as it was transporting 25,500 tons of coal worth an estimated US$3 million to a potential buyer in Samarinda.
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MV Wise Honest (MarineTraffic.com/Sergei Skriabin)
I
ndonesia had to find a balanced approach to the handling of a North Korean cargo ship detained under United Nations sanctions in its territory since last year, the Foreign Ministry has said, as Jakarta dealt with a “regulatory vacuum” preventing it from taking clear action in response.
In April last year, the Navy captured the MV Wise Honest in waters off Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, as it was transporting 25,500 tons of coal worth an estimated US$3 million to a potential buyer in Samarinda.
The United States said the ship clearly violated UN Security Council sanctions, set up as part of a push to choke funding for Pyongyang’s nuclear and ballistic missiles development program by banning North Korean exports including coal, iron, lead, textiles and seafood to other countries. Under the international sanctions regime, parties found to be doing business with Pyongyang will be blacklisted by countries like the US.
However, the ship was seized and its captain was charged with violating Indonesia’s 2008 Shipping Law, after it was found to be registered under the flags of Sierra Leone and North Korea. The Balikpapan District Court found the captain, Kim Chung Son, guilty and fined him Rp 400 million ($27,902) in November.
