Beijing urges Indonesia to release fishing crew after confrontation in South China Sea

A Chinese envoy yesterday called on Indonesia to release eight crew members of a Chinese fishing boat detained during a maritime confrontation, after he was summoned by furious Indonesian ministers.

Jakarta says Indonesian vessels had on Saturday tried to confiscate a Chinese fishing boat operating illegally near Indonesia’s Natuna Islands in the South China Sea, when they were prevented from doing so by Chinese coastguard vessels. The eight crew members had been detained before the coastguard intervened.

Indonesia is not embroiled in rival claims with China over the South China Sea and has instead seen itself as an “honest broker” in disputes between China and the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei.

But the incident at the weekend prompted its Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti to say the nation felt “sabotaged” in its efforts to maintain peace in the disputed waters.

“We may take it to the international tribunal of the law of the sea,” Pudjiastuti said.

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Jakarta says the Chinese fishing vessel Kway Fey went into Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone on Saturday. Eight Chinese crew members were detained but the Chinese coastguard prevented Indonesia from confiscating the fishing boat.