"Yes, the information we obtained, said that 14 Acehnese fishermen have been released and handed over to KBRI (Indonesian Embassy) in Yangon, Myanmar, and one of them is the ship's captain (Jamaludin Amno), who is still detained in Myanmar," Razali M. Ali stated when contacted from Banda Aceh on Tuesday.
He revealed that the 14 East Aceh fishermen will depart today from Yangon, Myanmar, to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and are planned to arrive at Blang Bintang, Sutan Iskandar Muda Airport, Aceh Besar District, on Thursday (Jan 31).
"I have already given this information to the families of the victims, and technically, we do not know the process in which the 14 fishermen would be returned back to their families," he stated.
Razali also stated that the families were still awaiting technical information related to reuniting the fishermen with their families, and his party was coordinating with the Aceh Social Service.
"In the past, the Aceh Fisheries Agency (DKP) was in charge of returning the fishermen back to their families, and now, the task has been delegated to the Social Service. Currently, the family is still waiting for further information from the Aceh Social Service," he remarked.
As many as 16 fishermen in East Aceh District, Aceh Province, sailed aboard Motor Vessel (KM) Bintang Jasa from Kuala Idi, East Aceh, that suffered an engine failure and was then carried by the currents and drifted into the waters of Myanmar.
The Aceh fishermen tried to evade arrest by the Myanmar Navy by swimming, and one of them, identified as Nurdin, 41, died of drowning, while 15 other fishermen were detained.
The 15 East Aceh fishermen detained in Myanmar comprise Jamaludin Amno aged 37; Nazarudin, 33; Safrizal, 38; Darman, 30; Muhammad Yais, 20; Muhammad Akbar, 15; Saipudin, 33; Faturahman, 15; and Sulaiman, 25.
The other detainees are Jamaludin, 36, captain of the ship; Samidan, 41; Amat Dani, 23; Rukni, 43; Efendi alias Ek Amni Alias, 28; and Umar Saputra, 23.
Reporting by Irman Yusuf, Eliswan A
Reporter: Antara
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
