The owner of a Taiwanese fishing boat that was fired at by Indonesian patrol boats as it was sailing through the Strait of Malacca on Monday has demanded that Indonesia apologize and pay compensation for the damage, as well as punish whoever fired the shots.
Liouciou Fishermen’s Association chief executive Tsai Pao-hsing (蔡寶興) issued the request in Liouciou Township (琉球), Pingtung County, on Thursday on behalf of Lee Chang-hsi (李長禧), owner of the Sheng Te Tsai.
Tsai said at least 12 bullet holes were found on the Sheng Te Tsai, which arrived in Singapore on Thursday morning.
Photo: CNA
Bullets were also recovered from the ship, he added.
Lee has asked that the government take the shooting seriously, Tsai said.
The Sheng Te Tsai and the Lien I Hsing No. 116 — both registered in Liouciou Township — reported on Monday that they were chased and fired at by two Indonesian patrol boats.
Photo: CNA
The incident is said to have occurred north of the Strait of Malacca, just more than 100km from the northeastern coast of Sumatra, when the two Taiwanese boats were on their way to Singapore.
No one was injured, the Taiwanese vessels reported.
Tsai said that the Sheng Te Tsai would continue its operations after picking up fresh supplies in Singapore, but the Lien I Hsing No. 116 would return to Taiwan ahead of schedule because the family of its skipper, Chen Fu-yi (陳福益), are worried about his safety.
Taiwan has rejected Indonesia’s explanation that the two Taiwanese fishing boats were shot at because they were poaching and attempting to ram an Indonesian patrol vessel.
Judging from the speeds of the two fishing boats, as shown from satellite positioning data obtained by Taiwan, it is unlikely that they were engaging in any fishing activities at the time, Fisheries Agency Deputy Director-General Tsay Tzu-yaw (蔡日曜) said on Tuesday.
If the two fishing boats were not involved in illegal fishing, the Indonesian patrol vessels violated international regulations by shooting at them, Tsay said.
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