BBC, 2005/09/24
China protests at warship attack
China has called on Indonesia to rein in its navy after a warship attacked a fishing
boat, killing a crew member. Its foreign ministry summoned an Indonesian diplomat in
Beijing to express anger at the "inhumane" attack.
The Indonesian warship challenged the Chinese boat on Monday over alleged
poaching in the Arafura Sea between Australia and Indonesia. The warship then
opened fire, killing one and injuring two crew members, and 10 sailors were taken into
custody. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said Beijing hoped Indonesia
would discipline the relevant units and sort out disputes with a "sober and restrained"
attitude in future.
Warning ignored
According to a Chinese foreign ministry statement, Indonesia's charge d'affaires said
the detained crew members were being treated well and the matter would be handled
"appropriately". The Indonesian navy said earlier that the boat was in a group of four
Chinese vessels suspected of fishing illegally. They were challenged but failed to
respond to radio signals and tried to escape after which the warship fired several
rounds from its 20mm gun at the largest of the four, an Indonesian navy spokesman
said. "We were upholding the law and we responded in line with procedures," he told
el-Shinta radio. "The nets the vessels were using were illegal," he said. The fishing
boat and its crew were taken to a naval base in Merauke, on the south-eastern coast
of Indonesia's Papua province.
© BBC MMIV
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