Yoyakarta (Antara Bali) - The Ministry of Maritime and Fisheries Affairs (KKP) succeeded on Friday in freeing 11 Indonesian fishermen who were arrested by Malaysian authorities early this month, a cabinet minister said.
KKP Minister Sharif Cicip Sutardjo told reporters here on Saturday that the Indonesian fishermen who came from Langkat District, North Sumatra, were released after his ministry officials held intensive lobbyings with the Malaysian side.
He said that the Indonesian fishermen were arrested for fishing in the Malaysian waters. "They violated the water areas because they were only small fishermen who had no enough equipment to know their exact position," the minister said.
"The Indonesian fishermen admittedly had violated the border areas and were found guilty because they missed their way into the Malaysian water areas," the minister said.
The minister said the Malaysian side was ready to accept it if "we can provide them with reasonable legal arguments before the suspects are taken to the court. After all, we made approaches from the humanity aspect." (*/M038)
