Illegal fishing vessel Viking, which was seized by Indonesia’s Navy, is anchored next to Indonesian navy ship KRI Sutanto before its sinking on the waters off Pangandaran, West Java
Illegal fishing vessel Viking, which was seized by Indonesia’s Navy, is anchored next to Indonesian navy ship KRI Sutanto before its sinking on the waters off Pangandaran, West Java
Indonesia said it will continue to take “decisive” action against foreign ships operating illegally in waters under its jurisdiction after Beijing criticized its navy for shooting at Chinese fishing vessels.
Indonesian navy spokesman First Admiral Edi Sucipto yesterday confirmed an Indonesian warship fired warning shots at Chinese fishing vessels in waters off Indonesia’s Natuna islands and detained one of the vessels and its seven crew members.
He said the incident occurred on Friday. “We will not hesitate to take decisive action against foreign ships, whatever their flag and nationality, when they commit violations in Indonesian territory,” Sucipto said.
China’s Foreign Ministry released a statement of protest on Sunday and said the Indonesian navy had “abused its military force.” It said one fisherman was injured during the incident.
China’s expansive claims to the South China Sea do not include the Natuna islands, which are nearly 2,000 kilometers from the Chinese mainland in waters between Malaysia and Borneo.
South China Sea | Indonesia vows more decisive action after Chinese ship spat