Trawler tied to navy murders

Trawler tied to navy murders

Jakarta seeks answers over slain personnel

Thai authorities have been asked to investigate the murder of two Indonesian navy personnel who were allegedly taken captive and slain by the crew of a Thai fishing boat last week, diplomatic and industry sources said yesterday.

Marine police in Songkhla are setting up a task force to probe the murders after the Indonesian embassy in Bangkok was ordered by Jakarta to pursue the matter with the Royal Thai Police.

The embassy said Jakarta has asked Thailand to probe the double murder, which occurred in Indonesian waters, and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Sgt Major Alfriansyah and a naval employee called Edi, who like many Indonesians both use only one name, boarded the Thai fishing vessel Nattaya 7 which was sailing in Indonesian waters around the Natuna Sea last week, the sources said.

The fishing boat was captained by a man identified only as Pad, and had 13 crew members on board.

The Indonesian navy personnel boarded the boat in an attempt to locate Thai fishermen from another boat who had fled after being involved in an altercation with other Indonesian naval officers on shore.

Reports said the two Indonesians were held hostage on the Nattaya 7 and were later killed by the fishing crew.

The victims' bodies were reportedly dumped in Indonesian waters and the captain piloted the fishing boat back to Thailand.

Marine police sources said the Nattaya 7 had already been found docked in Songkhla, but Captain Pad had reportedly fled to Pattani province.

Sources in Songkhla said the Nattaya 7 has proper documents for fishing in Indonesian waters, but suggested Captain Pad might have felt hostile towards Indonesian authorities as he had been arrested there before.

The Jakarta Post newspaper quoted First Admiral Agus Heriyana as saying Sgt Major Alfriansyah and Edi had approached the Thai fishing boat to investigate but both had failed to return after boarding the vessel.

The Thai Embassy in Jakarta said the Indonesian Foreign Ministry has yet to file a formal complaint on the matter, but the embassy learned about the double murder a week ago and was in the process of verifying the case.

Other Thai trawlers, whether they have proper documents or not, have already been affected by the abduction-murder. Many have retreated back to Thai waters for fear of reprisal, industry sources said.

Since the incident, three Thai boats — the Kor Ruamsin, the Saengsuriya, and another unnamed fuel vessel — have already been detained and towed back to Indonesian shores, Thai fishery officials said.

Indonesia is the largest source of overseas fishing for Thai trawlers, with some 200 vessels operating around the Arafura Sea and another 300 in the Natuna Sea.

Most of the boats are operating in joint-venture deals with Indonesian partners and carry Indonesian as well as Thai names on their bows.

The incident has put a strain on relations between the authorities concerned in both countries.

Industry sources said compensation was being offered in an effort to contain the problem.

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