Request Indonesia to immediately release fishermen and compensate Vietnamese fishing boats

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang answered reporters' questions regarding Indonesia's arrest of Vietnamese fishermen and fishing boats.

Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam Le Thi Thu Hang: Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Ms. Hang said that on April 27, while operating in Vietnamese waters, in the area where Vietnam and Indonesia are delimiting the exclusive economic zone (coordinates 06026'N - 106047'E, 5.5 nautical miles north of the 2003 continental shelf delimitation line), the Vietnamese fishing boat with registration number BD 97916 TS and 14 fishermen were captured by the Indonesian ship with registration number 381 and towed at high speed, causing the Vietnamese fishing boat to sink.

Vietnamese fisheries surveillance ship No. 213, which was enforcing the law in the area, promptly discovered and rescued two fishermen at sea, and at the same time requested ship 381 to leave Vietnamese waters. The remaining 12 fishermen were captured by ship 381 and taken to Indonesian waters.

The spokesperson emphasized that immediately after receiving information about the incident, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a diplomatic note to the Indonesian Embassy in Vietnam requesting Indonesian authorities to verify the information, investigate and clarify the incident; not to repeat similar actions in the future, and immediately release the fishermen of fishing boat BD 97916 TS, treat the fishing boat and fishermen humanely and compensate them appropriately.

“Vietnam requests Indonesia to strictly comply with the provisions of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), of which both Vietnam and Indonesia are members, in handling Vietnamese fishing vessels,” Ms. Le Thi Thu Hang stated.

On the same day, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also directed the Vietnamese Embassy in Indonesia to urgently contact local authorities, verify information and take necessary citizen protection measures.

The incident occurred on the afternoon of April 27, when fishing boat BD 97916 TS with 14 fishermen on board was captured by Indonesian ship 381. Vietnamese fishing control ship 213 was operating near the location and tried to prevent and protect the fishing boat, but Indonesian ship 381 pulled the fishing boat away at high speed.

Fisheries surveillance ship 213 rescued two fishermen and anchored the fishing boat to prevent it from sinking at a location on the Vietnam-Indonesia demarcation line.