Indonesia returns 49 Vietnamese fishermen

Most of the fishermen, who were sent back to Vietnam via Soekarno Hatta International Airport, hail from the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, the Mekong Delta provinces Kien Giang and Vinh Long, and the central province of Quang Ngai.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Jakarta has exerted all-out efforts to bring Vietnamese fishermen detained in Indonesia home as soon as possible, whose numbers have been increasing in recent years.

The embassy plans to propose necessary measures to deal with the situation in the time ahead.

From the outset of this year, more than 500 Vietnamese fishermen have been captured by Indonesian forces for encroaching upon their seas, doubling the figure from the same period last year.

Indonesia has affirmed that it will continue its strict measures on fishing vessels operating illegally in its waters. Two months ago, the country destroyed 23 foreign fishing boats, some of which were from Vietnam.