Indonesian Embassy in Yangon Help Repatriate 55 WNI Who Detained in Myanmar

Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia (KBRI) in Yangon, Myanmar

Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia (KBRI) in Yangon will repatriate 55 Indonesian citizens (WNI) who have received the remission of the sentence by the Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar return to Indonesia on Monday (8/6) tomorrow.

55th WNI are crew (ABK) who worked on the ship of Yi Hong (66) OTS-040 (9 people), Citra Nusantara-VI (FT-102) (11 people), Citra Nusantara-VI (FT101) (13 people), Sri Fu Fa No. 7 (11 persons) and KM Rejeki Baru (11 people) who were detained by Myanmar in Myanmar’s territorial waters in the region of Myeik, Thanintharyi, Myanmar (approximately 930 km south of Yangon) since February 2014.

In May 2014, Myanmar court sentenced them for four to six years in prison on charges of entering and fishing in the maritime region of Myanmar illegally. However, on May 28, 2015, the Government of Myanmar has pardoned and freed all citizens to be able to return to Indonesia.

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Indonesia to the Republic of Myanmar, the Commissioner General of Police (Ret) Ito Sumardi explained, that the forgiveness of the Government of Myanmar is the result of the commitment to the protection of citizens by the Government of Indonesia, both the Directorate for the Protection of Indonesian Citizens and Indonesian Corporation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Indonesian Embassy in Yangon, which has been obtained after making approaches to the parties concerned in Myanmar.

“Even in a bilateral visit the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia to Minister of Foreign Affairs of Myanmar on last May 21, 2015, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Retno Marsudi also raised the request for forgiveness of 55 Indonesian fishermen as one point of discussion. I think, this is the result of the talks, “Ito said in his press conference on Sunday (7/6) morning.

According to Indonesian Ambassador in Yangon since February 2014, the process of repatriation of the citizen can also take place with the support of PT Fishindo Citra Samudera, the company employs 46 people of 55 Indonesian citizens, who are willing to bear the cost of air transport for the repatriation from Myanmar to Indonesia. While the cost of nine other people be borne by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

PT Fishindo also expressed his commitment to complete the entire salary of its employees during they are in custody and will also allocate compensation for compensation for the inconvenience caused to fishermen while in prison.

The ABK is scheduled to arrive in Jakarta on Monday, June 8, 2015, accompanied by the Executive Consular, Indonesian Embassy in Yangon, using Malaysia Airlines MH 849 at 21:15 pm. (Fungsi Konsuler/KBRI Yangon/ES)