REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, AMBON -- Thai Police has deployed its team to investigate the allegations of fishermen being compelled to work as slaves on board PT. Pusaka Benjina Resources' fishing boat, following a recent news report on the matter.
"The Thai investigation team is led by Thailand Deputy Police Lt. Siridchai Anakeveing who has scheduled the Benjina investigation for three days, starting April 1, 2015," Acting Regional Secretary of Aru Islands Arens Uniplaitta stated when contacted from Ambon, Wednesday.
Lt. Siridchai and several members of his staff have reported about the investigation plan and are heading to Benjina.
"I have just met Lt. Siridchai along with several of his staff members and then escorted them to the port of Dobo to get to Benjina for the three-day investigation," noted Arens.
Arens has allowed Thailand's police team to investigate the truth behind the slavery issue in Benjina and expects to present their findings in the mass media in order to maintain Indonesia's reputation, especially in Aru Isles.
"I along with several working units (SKPD) also went to Benjina and supervised the investigation, either on the company's site or on the ship last week, and it turns out that the investigation report from the Associated Press' journalists cannot be justified," Arens stated.
On board the fishing boat, the supervision team only found a quarantine room for crew members who were either inebriated or involved in a brawl.
"Those quarantined fishermen are not allowed to participate in the cruise, but the company is still providing meals to them," Arens said.
The Benjina supervision report would be delivered to Maluku Governor Said Assagaff and will then be forwarded to Minister of Marine and Fisheries Susi Pudjiastuti.
Arens noted that PT. Pusaka Benjina Resources has also been affected due to the moratorium, initiated by the marine and fisheries minister, which was applicable to fishing boats anchored in the waters of Benjina.
"We have received a report that more than one thousand fishermen from 82 fishing boats of Pusaka Benjina Resources are affected by the moratorium," said Arens.
On the occasion, Arens expressed regret on the inaccurate news story on the enslaved fishermen being circulated in the mass media, which may tarnish Indonesia's image internationally.
"We support the minister's decision in forming a special team to investigate the slavery allegations in order to clarify the corresponding facts and actual data in Benjina," said Arens.
Earlier, news reports surfaced about fishermen aboard a Benjina ship being forced to work as slaves. The ship sailed from Thailand to fish in the waters of eastern Indonesia.
The report contains interviews of more than 40 children, mostly from Myanmar, who claimed to be enslaved and locked in a cage and forced to conduct fishing without being paid wages.
Furthermore, the fish were then shipped to Thailand to be marketed worldwide to countries such as the United States. The government has seized the illegal fish catch that was being transported by the KM. Nunukan ship.
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