Jakarta - Indonesia admitted Thursday that one of its patrol boats fired on two Taiwanese fishing vessels in the Strait of Malacca, but insisted it was an act of self-defence.
It was the latest example of Jakarta taking a tougher approach to defending its waters, just days after an Indonesian patrol boat in the South China Sea attempted to detain a Chinese trawler it accused of illegally fishing in its waters.
The Taiwanese tuna longliners were passing the north of Sumatra island Monday when an Indonesian patrol boat spotted the vessels, and became suspicious they had been fishing illegally.
"The vessels were passing through with no flags, we did not know where they were from," Yunus Husein, deputy head of a task force that combats illegal fishing, told AFP.
Husein said officials on the patrol vessel initially asked the boats to stop using a loudspeaker, but they were ignored. They then fired warning shots into the air, but again the Taiwanese boats refused to stop, he said.
2 Taiwanese fishing vessels allegedly fired at by Indonesian patrol vessel now in S'pore
The Taiwanese vessels docked at Jurong Fishery Port on March 24, 2016.
Carrying 25 crew members on board, including the two Taiwanese captains, both vessels docked at Jurong Fishery Port at about 7.15am.
Captain Lin Nan-yang, whose fishing vessel was one of the two Taiwanese vessels allegedly fired at by an Indonesian vessel.
Crew members of Taiwanese fishing vessels, which were allegedly fired at by Indonesian patrol vessel, arriving at Jurong Fishery Port, on March 24, 2016.
Two tuna longliners Sheng Te Tsai and Lien I Hsing No. 116 were on their way to Singapore, passing through the Strait of Malacca early Monday when their captains said they were being pursued and fired at by the Indonesian vessel.
Lien I Hsing No. 116, with 12 crew on board, was suddenly fired at four or five times while being lit up by a spotlight aboard the Indonesian patrol vessel, said the report, but did not appear to have been hit. Its captain Chen Fu-li declined to comment.
The worst hit was Sheng Te Tsai, which had 12 bullet holes, said its Captain Lin Nan-yang.
Recalling the harrowing experience, Mr Lin, 34, said: "At first, we thought we were being attacked by pirates. There was no warning at all and they started shooting... Everyone was just hiding under the consoles or in their bunks, hoping to stay alive."
"It was so chaotic. I tried to establish communications with the vessel but didn't understand what the other side was saying," Mr Lin told The Straits Times, adding that this was the first such attack he has encountered in his 15-year-long sailing career.
The Indonesian vessel was said to have chased the Sheng Te Tsai for an hour, Mr Lin added.
Following the incident, there were several sleepless nights for Mr Lin and his 12 crew members as they made their way to Singapore.
The Straits Times
The Taiwanese vessels docked at Jurong Fishery Port on March 24, 2016.
Carrying 25 crew members on board, including the two Taiwanese captains, both vessels docked at Jurong Fishery Port at about 7.15am.
Captain Lin Nan-yang, whose fishing vessel was one of the two Taiwanese vessels allegedly fired at by an Indonesian vessel.
Crew members of Taiwanese fishing vessels, which were allegedly fired at by Indonesian patrol vessel, arriving at Jurong Fishery Port, on March 24, 2016.
Two tuna longliners Sheng Te Tsai and Lien I Hsing No. 116 were on their way to Singapore, passing through the Strait of Malacca early Monday when their captains said they were being pursued and fired at by the Indonesian vessel.
Lien I Hsing No. 116, with 12 crew on board, was suddenly fired at four or five times while being lit up by a spotlight aboard the Indonesian patrol vessel, said the report, but did not appear to have been hit. Its captain Chen Fu-li declined to comment.
The worst hit was Sheng Te Tsai, which had 12 bullet holes, said its Captain Lin Nan-yang.
Recalling the harrowing experience, Mr Lin, 34, said: "At first, we thought we were being attacked by pirates. There was no warning at all and they started shooting... Everyone was just hiding under the consoles or in their bunks, hoping to stay alive."
"It was so chaotic. I tried to establish communications with the vessel but didn't understand what the other side was saying," Mr Lin told The Straits Times, adding that this was the first such attack he has encountered in his 15-year-long sailing career.
The Indonesian vessel was said to have chased the Sheng Te Tsai for an hour, Mr Lin added.
Following the incident, there were several sleepless nights for Mr Lin and his 12 crew members as they made their way to Singapore.
The Straits Times
The fishing boats began heading fast in the direction of the patrol boat, said Husein, prompting the Indonesian officials to open fire.
He insisted the action was taken in self-defence, to prevent a collision.
"It was the last resort, and we followed all proper procedures beforehand," he said, adding that no one had been hurt.
Taiwan's fishing agency says one of the boats had more than 10 bullet holes. The 20 crew aboard the fishing boats were safe and the vessels headed to Singapore after the incident for a damage assessment, according to the agency.
Taiwan's premier Chang San-cheng said Tuesday that such violence against the island's boats was "unacceptable".
Husein said the task force only found out the vessels belonged to Taiwan after Taiwanese representatives in Jakarta complained.
The Indonesian foreign ministry said it was still investigating the incident.
Indonesia in 2014 launched a tough crackdown on illegal fishing which involve s sinking foreign vessels caught fishing without a permit after impounding the boats and removing the crews.
Its foreign minister protested to Beijing after the Chinese coastguard at the weekend stopped an Indonesian patrol boat from detaining a Chinese trawler.
The Chinese coastguard vessel rammed into the detained fishing boat as the Indonesians towed it to shore, helping to release it.
Eight members of the crew were detained before the boat was freed, and Jakarta insists they will be prosecuted in Indonesia.
Source: Indonesia defends shooting at Taiwanese fishing boats
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