Vietnamese Ambassador to Indonesia Hoang Anh Tuan (in red) visits Vietnamese fishermen detained in Indonesia. (Source: VNA) Jakarta (VNA) – Representatives of the Vietnamese Embassy in Indonesia have visited Vietnamese fishermen who have been temporarily detained on the country’s islands for illegal fishing.
The diplomats had working sessions with the prosecution office and court of Ranai in Indonesia’s Natuna Islands.
Tran Minh Cu, Counsellor of the Vietnamese Embassy, called on the agencies to make fair judgments on the basis of information provided by the fishermen and lawyers.
The embassy asked the prosecution office to take necessary measures to ensure the fishermen’s health.
Cu told the fishermen that the embassy will continue to accompany fishermen during the legal process to protect their rights, asking them to abide by Indonesian regulations.
The embassy will send representatives to attend the trial for the remaining captains in mid-January, he affirmed.
The embassy has also asked Indonesian agencies to repatriate a fisherman who has been hospitalised for acute stomachache treatment.
According to the embassy, since the beginning of 2017, 110 Vietnamese fishing boats have caught fish in Indonesia’s waters and about 1,270 fishermen have been captured for the violation, compared with 58 boats and 644 sailors in 2015 and 109 boats and 1,120 sailors in 2016.
Indonesia has imposed strict measures against illegal fishing. In 2017, the country destroyed 103 violating fishing boats, including 66 from Vietnam.
The embassy, so far this year, has work with agencies of both sides to bring home 1,263 fishermen. However, there are still some 170 Vietnamese fishermen detained on Indonesia’s islands.-VNA
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