Indonesia Summons Ambassador over Deaths on Chinese Fishing Boats

Officials in Jakarta summoned the Chinese ambassador Thursday over the deaths of four Indonesians and the treatment of others who allegedly worked in harsh conditions aboard Chinese fishing boats since December 2019. The summons followed a South Korean media report, which alleged that Indonesian crew members were sometimes forced to work 30 straight hours while standing and were given only six hours to eat and sleep before resuming their duties.

An Indonesian crew member interviewed by a South Korean television station said the bodies of three who died between December and March were thrown into the sea despite details in their contract calling for cremation.

“The Indonesian government expressed concerns about the conditions on the ships, which are suspected to have led to the death of four Indonesian crew members, three at sea and another in a hospital in Busan,” Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi told reporters in an online news conference.

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