Jokowi emphasized that fishing boats were sunk after they were proven guilty of poaching in Indonesian waters.
Yoyakarta (ANTARA News) - President Joko Widodo has said the Indonesian government was sinking illegal foreign vessels as a deterrent action and the move was not against neighboring nations.

"I have asked our foreign minister to explain why Indonesia is sinking foreign vessels. This measure is taken for legal reasons and not as a solution for neighbor problems," Joko Widodo, better known as Jokowi, stated while giving a public lecture at the Gajah Mada University here on Tuesday.

He emphasized that fishing boats were sunk after they were proven guilty of poaching in Indonesian waters.

The President noted that he received a report from the ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries that there were at least 5.4 thousand large tonnage ships operating in Indonesian waters.

"Almost all of those ships fish illegally in Indonesian waters," the President remarked, adding that sea wealth worth some Rp300 trillion was stolen from Indonesia every year.

The President has instructed the minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI, and Navy to sink foreign vessels that poach Indonesian waters.

The President was confused initially because although he had issued instructions, no ship was sunk. However, on Friday, the Navy took the procedures to sink them.

"We hope others will also be sunk soon, so we can show we are a sovereign nation. A country must be firm and must have authority," the President observed.

Three Vietnamese fishing vessels that were caught fishing illegally were sunk by the Indonesian Navy on Friday.

"We had been planning the sinking operation since Friday morning. Three fishing vessels, all from Vietnam, will be sunk," the Head of the Information Office of the Indonesian Navy, First Admiral Manahan Simorangkir, was quoted as saying by the local online media here on Friday.

Simorangkir stated that the ships had been detained and confiscated by the Indonesian government.

He told www.kompas.com that the efforts were aimed at deterring foreign fishermen from poaching on Indonesian waters.

"We believe that the measure to sink vessels is in line with Indonesian laws and regulations. Neighboring countries will understand our efforts and the operation will not affect Indonesias relations with other countries. It will be fine," Simorangkir affirmed.

According to the local online media, the navy submerged the ships in Anambas waters in Riau Islands on Friday afternoon.

Several officials, including the Chief of the Western Indonesian Fleet Command, the Navy Main Base Commander, and the Chief of the Indonesian Military Information Center monitored the sinking operation, Tribun Batam reported.

Furthermore, the navys elite Frogmen Command installed several explosives in advance.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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