Indonesia repatriates Vietnamese fishermen

May 27, 2016 - 17:50

The island country of Indonesia has repatriated 33 Vietnamese fishermen who were reportedly detained in late 2015 and early 2016 for accidently fishing in Indonesia’s seas.

Fishermen gather at the Soekarno Hatta International Airport before taking the flight back to Việt Nam on Thursday. — VNA Photo
Viet Nam News

JAKARTA — The island country of Indonesia has repatriated 33 Vietnamese fishermen who were reportedly detained in late 2015 and early 2016 for accidently fishing in Indonesia’s seas.
Most of the fishermen are from the southern provinces of Bà Ria-Vũng Tàu, Kiên Giang, Tiền Giang and Cần Thơ, as well as Trà Vinh, and Đồng Tháp, and were captured while sailing on 12 fishing boats.
They were sent back to Việt Nam on Thursday from the Soekarno Hatta International Airport immediately following their release.
Most of the fishermen were detained in Indonesia for two months. Some were detained for 8-9 months.
 Representatives from the Vietnamese Embassy in Indonesia met with the fishermen before they returned home and reminded them to strictly abide by the laws of both countries. They were warned not to repeat violations in Indonesian waters or any other country’s waters.
Earlier this week, the embassy coordinated with the Indonesian authorities to complete procedures to repatriate 10 Vietnamese fishermen.

In 2015, the Vietnamese embassy succeeded in sending some 670 fishermen back to their homeland.

Last year, Indonesia detained some 60 ships and boats and arrested 660 fishermen from Việt Nam, much higher than the 2014 figures, according to the embassy. — VNS
 

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