JAKARTA — More than a dozen Acehnese fishermen have returned home after being detained for almost three months in Myanmar over allegations of illegal poaching, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry has announced. Ministry officials completed the repatriation of 14 fishermen who worked on the Bintang Jasa fishing vessel and handed them over to acting Aceh governor Nova Iriansyah on Wednesday. ADVERTISEMENTThey were held for two months and 17 days in Kawthaung township, on the southernmost tip of Myanmar just off the Andaman Sea, after being accused of illegally fishing in the country’s waters, Indonesian Ambassador to Myanmar Iza Fadri said. Meanwhile, the ship’s captain, whose name was not released by the ministry, is still in Myanmar and must go through the necessary legal processes. The Indonesian Embassy in Yangon said it would continue to provide assistance for the upcoming trial, which is expected to begin in February.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer January 31, 2019 09:11 UTC