The Jakarta Post reported yesterday (December 29) that the officers used explosives to sink the vessels in Anambas waters, near the South China Sea.
The move followed a court verdict on December 23 that they were involved in illegal fishing near Anambas Island in Riau Islands province.
The 70-tonne MV Kour Son 77 was caught by the Indonesian navy in November with six crew on board – two from Thailand, three from Myanmar and one from Laos. The 103-tonne Chawat 5, which could not provide any legal documents to operate in Indonesian waters, was seized on December 11.
Earlier this month, a Thai fishery group warned of the risk.
Praporn Ekuru, chairman of the Songkhla Fisheries Association, told boats registered in the southern province on December 11 that Indonesia has begun sinking foreign fishing boats caught exploiting its territorial waters.
The Thai Overseas Fisheries Association had already alerted members around the country the same day, he said.
Indonesia vowed to sink all ships stealing its fish in a bid by President Joko Widodo, better known as Jokowi, to protect domestic marine resources.
He said during his presidential campaigns that such thefts cost Indonesia 300 trillion rupiah (B780 billion) a year and 5,400 illegal trawlers illegally plied Indonesian waters, according to the Antara news agency.
After taking criticism from foreign governments, Jokowi again defended his decision, calling it a necessary deterrent. “I asked our foreign minister to explain that this is a purely criminal issue and has nothing to do with neighbourly relations,” Mr Widodo said.
See original story here