There Is Nothing Wrong With The Removal Of The Bodies Of Crews, It Is Slavery That Must Be Traced

Slavery memorial at the Port of Rotterdam, The Netherlands (Kaatjem / Pixabay)

JAKARTA - Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Edhy Prabowo has responded to the viral video of carrying the bodies of Indonesian crew members (ABK) in South Korea. This video was uploaded for the first time by the media from South Korea, MBC News.

Edhy explained, banning or burial at sea is allowed because it is regulated in the maritime regulations of the International Labor Organization or ILO. However, there are several conditions that must be met. In the ILO "Seafarer's Service Regulations", the procession of carrying a body at sea is regulated in Article 30.

"Pelafaran at sea can be done after fulfilling several conditions," said Edhy in a statement received by VOI, Thursday, May 7.

The first requirement, the ship sails in international waters. Second, the crew members have been dead for more than 24 hours or their death is due to infectious diseases and the bodies have been sterilized.

The third condition is that the ship is unable to store the bodies due to hygienic reasons or the port prohibits ships from storing the bodies, or other legal reasons. Then, fourth, there is a death certificate that has been issued by the ship's doctor.

"Pelarungan also cannot be done just like that. Based on Article 30, when carrying out the voyage, the captain must treat the corpse with respect. One of them is by carrying out a funeral ceremony," said Edhy.

Not only that. Pelarungan is carried out in a careful manner so that the corpse does not float on the water. One method that is widely used is to use a chest or weight to drown the body. The ceremony and celebration should also be documented, either by videotaping or with as much detail as possible.

Alleged slavery

Edhy stated that the KKP will focus on allegations of labor exploitation or slavery that are not in accordance with human rights. Therefore, he will submit reports of alleged exploitation to the fisheries management authority in the high seas.

"KKP will immediately send a notification to the RFMO (Regional Fisheries Management Organization) for the possibility that their company or ship will be sanctioned," he said.

This, said Edhy, was based on the suspicion that the company that sent the Indonesian crew members had carried out the same activity several times. The company is also registered as an authorized vessel at 2 RFMOs, namely the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) and the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC).

Regarding the crew members who survived and are now in South Korea, Edhy ensured that the government would hold the companies that recruited and placed them accountable. This form of accountability includes ensuring that salaries are paid according to the work contract and return to Indonesia.

"We will also review the documents of our crew members. Including the contracts that have been signed," he said.

Previously, MBC News reported that three Indonesian citizens who were crew members died on the Long Xin 629 and Long Xin 604 ships belonging to China. The cause of the death of the crew members on the fishing boat belonging to China was due to slavery. The crew members of the Indonesian ship are suspected of being obliged to work which is not in accordance with human rights.

The case that was reported by the MBC television station was widely known by the Indonesian public, after a Youtuber named Jang Hansol who was fluent in Indonesian, on the Korean Reomit account, explained the chronology of the news.

After watching the MBC news broadcast, Hansol stated that workers, including the Indonesian crew members, had exploited them. They, said Hansol, were required to work 18 hours per day.

Then, they only get six hours to rest as well as hours to eat. During their time on the ship, the crew members did not get proper drinking water. They can only drink filtered seawater.

The passports of the crew members were confiscated, so they could not escape. Not only that, the crew who worked at sea for 13 months only received a salary of 140 thousand won or around IDR 1.7 million.

As a result, three crew members died due to illness in the ship in the middle of the ocean. They are Ari (24 years), Al Fatah (19 years), and Sepri (24 years). The bodies of the three crew members were not taken to the mainland, but were transported to the open seas.

This is recorded in a video broadcast by MBC with the caption taken on March 30, 2020 in the western Pacific Ocean.