An investigation into the death last year of an Indonesian fisherman on a Taiwanese boat has been reopened on the Control Yuan’s instructions, Pingtung District Prosecutors’ Office spokeswoman Chen Yun-ju (陳韻如) said yesterday.
The case was reopened based on forensic and video evidence that the Control Yuan, in its report on the matter, deemed crucial, Chen said.
The Indonesian man in his 40s, identified only as Supriyanto, died in August last year of septicemia from infected wounds because he was not provided with timely treatment after being physically assaulted about a month earlier on the fishing boat Futzuchun, the Control Yuan said in its report in October.
Supriyanto developed septicemia because his captain refused to dock at the nearest port to seek medical attention for him, it said.
The report also censured the Fisheries Agency, saying that its regulations and oversight of employment agencies and employers of fishery workers such as Supriyanto were inadequate.
The agency was negligent and tardy in investigating Supriyanto’s death and compensating his family, the report said.
The Control Yuan said its investigation had found that prosecutors had disregarded parts of the forensic report on Supriyanto and had missed crucial evidence in three video clips because of translation problems.
The Control Yuan made a formal demand for Pingtung prosecutors to reopen their investigation.
The office launched an investigation in September last year, wrapping up the probe on Nov. 10 and concluding that Supriyanto had died of an infection.
The swift closure of the case drew attention in Taiwan and abroad, and labor rights groups said the case highlighted the unjust treatment to which migrant workers are subjected.
The Chinese-language Apple Daily yesterday published a feature on the case based on information provided by a Taiwanese nonprofit news site called The Reporter.
The Reporter said Supriyanto, a bus conductor from the town of Tegal, was hired via illegal labor brokers in Taiwan and Indonesia, and that after his death, his family was tricked by Taiwanese brokers into signing an agreement not to pursue legal action or seek compensation.
He started work on a Taiwanese fishing boat in 2014 to support his family, the news site said.
Supriyanto was hired last year as one of 11 crew members on the Kaohsiung-registered Futzuchun, which set off from Pingtung’s Donggang Township (東港) to fish for tuna in the western Pacific Ocean, the Web site said.
He died three months later on the ship, the news site said.
Greenpeace International said in an April report that Taiwan had no regulations in place to protect the rights of foreign contract fishermen and there were no specified minimum wages or working hours.
The Act Governing Distant Water Fisheries (遠洋漁業條例), passed by the legislature on July 5 and due to take effect on Jan. 15, would be toothless unless it is properly implemented, Greenpeace said.
The report followed a “yellow card” warning issued to Taiwan by the European Commission on Oct. 1 last year to clean up its fisheries industry or face economic sanctions.
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