Two Indonesian fishermen repatriated

By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
Two Indonesian fishermen were repatriated to Jayapura yesterday after drifting into Papua New Guinea waters after their boat collided with a tanker in Indonesian waters, Vanimo-based   Indonesian Consul Elmer Iwan Lubis said.
Dahlan, 30, and Baharuddin, 29, were two of the three fishermen who had suffered concussion when their boat collided last week with a tanker about  200 nautical miles from   Jayapura city, in the Papua Province. The group then drifted into the waters of PNG for three days before being rescued by a Philippines-flagged ship, Victor 8.
They were handed to the PNG fisheries authority in Wewak, East Sepik.
Lubis said that they were treated at the Boram General Hospital before being handed to them at   the Vanimo Consulate.
“The other fisherman Saripudding, 28, who had a serious health condition, was repatriated first on Monday.”
Lubis said the repatriation of survivors could not have happened without the  cooperation of  the PNG government, in particular the National Fisheries Agency, Immigration and other parties.
“This is strong evidence of good cooperation between Indonesia and PNG. This is also a reflection of the good relations and coordination,” he said.