AFP, JAKARTA: One Chinese crewman was killed and two others wounded when an Indonesian navy ship fired on their fishing boat poaching in the Arafura Sea, the navy said Wednesday.
“One member of the crew was killed and two others were wounded. All are Chinese citizens,” said Captain Melis from the Indonesian Eastern Fleet Navy information office in Surabaya, East Java.
A press officer at the Chinese embassy in Jakarta, Xie Yong Hui, said he had been informed of the incident by the navy “and we are in the process of confirming this”.
Melis said the incident took place Monday when the KRI Tanjung Dalpele came upon four ships believed to be illegally fishing in the Arafura Sea between Papua and Maluku provinces.
Three of the ships fled. The navy vessel hailed the fourth one, MV Fu Yuan Yu, which was carrying the Chinese flag.
“We hailed the ship through radio contact and semaphore but received no answer. Despite our call for the ship to halt and prepare to be boarded, the ship attempted to flee,” Melis said.
After three shots into the air, a gun fired at the side of the Chinese vessel which suddenly veered as if trying to collide with the warship, he said.
Shots were fired at the lower stern of the ship to damage the rotor only “after all procedures were met,” Melis said.
The dead and wounded were discovered after the navy boarded the vessel.
“The ship and the victims have all been taken to the naval base in Merauke” on the southeastern coast of easternmost Papua province, Melis said.
Besides the three victims the ship had another 13 men on board, he said.
Xie said the embassy had been unable to contact the Chinese crew members and was trying to determine whether or not the shooting was justified.
The Indonesian navy has been seeking to crack down on illegal foreign fishermen.
