VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Feb. 1 - Some 28 Acehnese fishermen who have just been repatriated from India are conducting self isolation in Jakarta before being flown to Aceh province.

"They will be quarantined for five days and then flown to Aceh after they are really declared free from the COVID-19," Chief of the Liaison Agency of the Aceh Provincial Government (BPBA) Almuniza Kamal said on Sunday.

While in Jakarta, the 28 Acehenese fishermen stayed at Mercure Hotel on Gatot Subroto Street to conduct self isolation and undergo swab test, he said.

Almuniza said the Aceh government will continue to pay attention to the entire people of Aceh as a manifestation of Aceh Governor Nova Irfansyah's commitment.

The Aceh government expressed gratitude to all sides, particularly the Foreign Ministry, the Indonesian Embassy in India, and the fisheries resources surveillance station of the Indonesian Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry (PSDKP-KKP RI)), that have assisted the repatriation of the Achenese fishermen.

Since early last year a total of 160 Acehnese fishermen have been detained abroad for trespassing in the waters of other countries such as Myanmar, Thailand and India, he said.

The 28 Acehnese fishermen arrived in Indonesia on Friday after being set free in India's islands of Andaman and Nicobar.

The Indian coastal guard police Durgabai Deshmukh arrested them at a location 55 nautical miles from Nicobar Island on March 3, 2020.

"With the advocacy of the Indonesian Foreign Ministry, the Indonesian Embassy in New Delhi, and the hard work of the Aceh government and the PSDKP-KKP), the Andaman court set them free on January 16, 2021," deputy secretary general of Panglima Laot Aceh (leader of the local traditional sea community) Miftach Tjut Adek confirmed here on Friday.

Miftach expressed gratitude to the Aceh governor and the central government for their hard work and tireless advocacy for the Acehnese fishermen that led to their immediate release. Normally, the detention period may last for up to three years.

"In the past two years, our 160 fishermen were detained in the three countries of Myanmar, India, and Thailand. They were released immediately owing to the advocacy of the Aceh government and the central government," he affirmed.

With the repatriation of 28 Acehnese fishermen, three other fishermen from Aceh are yet being detained in India. (Antaranews)