Government assisting Thai fishermen in Indonesia

BANGKOK, March 25 (TNA) - The Thai government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, is taking action to assist Thai fishermen in Indonesia. Deputy Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs Suvat Chirapant convened Indonesian Ambassador to Thailand Lutfi Rauf at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok on March 24 to discuss assistance for Thai fishing crewmen on the Indonesian Ambon Island. Since October 2014, the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs has rescued 146 Thai fishing workers back from Indonesia on a voluntary basis, 70 of them returned from the Ambon Island. Meanwhile, Thai Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha warned Thai journalists to carefully report Thai fishery in Indonesia, as their reports may have negative impacts on Thai exports of fishery products to the world's largest Archipelagic country. The prime minister's warning was in response to Thai media's earlier reports on the fates of the Thai fishing crewmen, who became forced labour and were arrested in Indonesia and called for the government's assistance. The Thai premier insisted that his government is trying to help the Thai fishermen although they had been arrested before he took office. The prime minister cautioned such reports could result in Thailand's exports of 200,000 tons of fish to Indonesia being banned for involving illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. The prime minister suggested if journalists found any problem, they should first contact Thai authorities, as reckless reports could damage national interest. (TNA)