The fishermen were pardoned by King Maha Vajiralongkorn of Thailand on his birthday on July 28, 2020, following which they were transferred from Phang Ngah prison and handed over to Thai immigration in early September to complete repatriation formalities, the embassy said.
The fishermen were sent to Bangkok on September 12, 2020, and they flew to Jakarta from the Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok, in accordance with the Thai government’s policy in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, it added.
After landing in Jakarta, the fishermen returned to their homes in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam province.
The fishermen had been caught poaching in Thailand’s territory by the Royal Thai Navy on two separate occasions. Thirty fishermen and three children on board KM Mahesa Perkasa and KM Voltus fishing vessels were detained by the Thai Navy on January 24, 2020, while 20 fishermen and three children on board KM Tuah Sulthan were caught on March 12, 2020.
They were pronounced guilty of illegally fishing in Thailand waters and sentenced to one to two years in jail. They were incarcerated in the Phang Ngah prison in southern Thailand.
The Indonesian Consulate in Songkhla provided legal advice to the fishermen and sought relief from punishment. (INE)
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EDITED BY INE
Translator: Yuni A Sinaga, Sri Haryati
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2020
