Jakarta, April 5 (Antara) - The Indonesian government is expected to
take stern measures against companies operating fishing ships which
practice slavery in the fishery sector.
"The disclosure of the slavery practice in Benjina, Aru Island, Maluku,
indicates that the upholding of the law in the fishery sector in the
past five months has not yet created significant deterrent effects,"
Indonesian Traditional Fishermen's Association (KNTI) General Chairman M
Riza Damanik said here on Sunday.
The KNTI called on related parties, including the Ministry of Maritime
Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) to investigate the alleged report of slavery
practices in the fishery sector.
"The slavery case of fishermen in Indonesian waters should thoroughly
be investigated," M Riza Damanik has earlier said.
Several international media outlets such as the Associated Press of the
US have reported the slavery of boat crews employed by the company that
conducts fishing in Indonesia.
A police team from Thailand has also investigated the report by the
Associated Press of the US that PT Pusaka Benjina Resources (PBR), a
company based in Benjina on Aru Island in Maluku, the eastern province
of Indonesia, had been treating its crew members from Thailand as
slaves.
Based on preliminary results of the investigation, crew members who had
been employed for 22 hours a day by the company were from Myanmar and
Cambodia.
Criticism on the alleged slavery report also came from the United
States. It voiced its criticism on Thursday over alleged slavery of
thousands of fishermen from a number of Southeast Asian countries in
Aru, Maluku.
"We strongly criticize slavery practices in any form, including in the
fishery sector. Regulations in the United States ban the importation of
goods produced by means of slaveries," Catherine A. Novelli, US Under
Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment,
said in Jakarta.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has predicted that
the number of fishermen forced into slavery reaches 4,000. They are
reportedly forced to work as slaves by a Thai ship captain.
M Riza Damanik said the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry (KKP)
should investigate it together with the National Human Rights Commission
(Komnas Ham), the immigration, the military and police apparatuses and
societal organizations.
"The sanctions should include the revocation of their certifications on
fishery products which they have received," the KNTI chairman said.
A KKP official said his ministry strongly rejected any kind of slavery
in the form of exploitation of workers in the maritime and fishery
sector as it may be categorized as a crime against humanity.
"The Indonesian ministry of fishery and maritime resources rejects
slavery in the fishery industry," the director general of processing and
marketing of fishery products, Saut Hutagalung, said.
He said that slavery is not only about economy but also about human
dignity. Although it is profitable in economic terms it denies human
status.
The ships conduct fishing in the Indonesian territory for a company in
Thailand, he said, but it is feared the case would hurt Indonesia's
reputation.
Such a practice was intolerable as it could be categorized as a crime
against humanity and so it clearly hurts the country, the director
general said.
According to the Indonesian Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries
Susi Pudjiastuti, Indonesia will not tolerate the slavery practice that
took place in the Indonesian waters.
Therefore, Susi Pudjiastuti said she was serious about dealing with the
issue of PT Pusaka Benjina Resources (PBR) practicing slavery on its
crew members aboard its fishing vessels.
"We are serious about handling the case of slavery in Benjina. Even
though the crew involved does not include our citizens, the incident
took place in our country," she stated while attending a Fishermen's Day
event on Saturday.
She added that by tackling the Benjina case, the government wishes to bring fishing companies in the country to order.
"Eradicating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing has been
the focus of our government. Since becoming a minister, I have said
that IUU fishing has been used as a means to commit other crimes,
including the smuggling of narcotic drugs, human trafficking and
slavery," she noted in a press statement received by Antara on Saturday.
If Indonesia could eradicate IUU fishing, it would contribute to the
eradication of other crimes, as well, she pointed out.
"The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries will freeze the
licenses of companies (involved in the crimes) and revoke them if
violations of laws are proven," she emphasized.
Pudjiastuti added that her ministry would also coordinate with and ask
other law enforcement agencies and government institutions concerned to
help enforce the law and maintain the country's sovereignty over its sea
territory.
Furthermore, the minister has issued a regulation banning the shipment
of fishery products from PT Pusaka Benjina Resources, including their
export.
She has also ordered for the operations of all fishing vessels
belonging to the firm to be stopped in connection with the slavery
issue.
"I have asked for the export of the products of the Benjina firm to be
stopped for the time being," Pudjiastuti said at a meeting with House
Commission IV.
She noted that PT PBR based in Benjina, Maluku, has been suspected of inhumanly treating its boat crews.
This is important because the company's practices have gone beyond the
level of appropriateness; they even forced their crew to work more than
20 hours a day and inflicted physical violence on them, she observed.
"Indonesia cannot remain idle or our products will be boycotted," Pudjiastuti pointed out.
The minister said a lot of foreign workers in Benjina do not have
official immigration documents. She noted she felt bad because slavery
occurred in the Indonesian territory.
The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries has proposed to the
Ministry of Transportation to close the fishing port in Benjina in view
of a number of violations conducted by large companies, including
PBR.***1***
(T.A014/b003/B003) |
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