TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Embassy in Seoul, South Korea, confirmed it had sent home 14 Indonesian crewmen of Chinese vessel Long Xin 629 on Friday, May 8.

“They return home by boarding a Garuda Indonesia flight this morning,” said Ambassador Umar Hadi in a statement on Friday.

According to Umar, the embassy would continue following up on the crewmen's complaints and seek solutions. “We are cooperating with the South Korean government, especially its Ministry of Maritime and Fisheries, to ensure that the rights of Indonesian crewmen are met by the company owner of the ship,” he remarked.

The fate of Indonesian crewmen in the Chinese fishing vessel seized the public spotlight after a video broadcasted by a South Korean news channel showing three of them died and thrown out to sea. There were alleged slavery practices and the exploitation of ship crew members that rendered them ill and later dead onboard.

Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi has called for an investigation into the Chinese vessel and demanded the Chinese authority conduct a further probe so as to ensure the companies fulfill the rights of their crew and abide by the prevailing laws and the agreed contracts.

“Meanwhile, communication through diplomatic channels, either in Jakarta or Beijing, will continue to be carried out intensively,” Retno said on Thursday, May 7, 2020.

DEWI NURITA