China to investigate RI Navy shooting

China to investigate RI Navy shooting

Associated Press, Beijing

China will send a fact-finding mission to Jakarta to investigate
the Indonesian navy's fatal shooting of a Chinese fisherman in
Indonesian waters, and the Chinese vessel company will demand
compensation for the attack, official media reported.

The official Xinhua News Agency said on Sunday that
representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the
Ministry of Agriculture would hold talks with their Indonesian
counterparts following the Sept. 19 incident in which the
fisherman was killed and two of his comrades wounded.

The three were aboard one of four Chinese fishing vessels that
the Indonesian navy says were suspected of using illegal fishing
nets in the Arafura sea off New Guinea island.

The four Chinese fishing boats did not respond to radio and
visual signals, the navy said, and tried to flee after warning
shots were fired.

It said the Indonesian warship KRI Tanjung Dalpele fired
several rounds from a 20 mm gun at MV Fu Yuan Yu-132, the largest
of the four Chinese fishing vessels.

Xinhua's Sunday report said the owner of the Chinese vessel
would ask for compensation from Indonesian authorities but did
not specify an amount.

It said the owner had already sent 10,000 yuan (US$1,233) to
the family of Nie Weijiang, the slain fisherman.

On Friday, Assistant Foreign Minister Shen Guofang summoned
Indonesia's charge d'affairs in Beijing to express "astonishment
and strong dissatisfaction" over the "inhumane" incident, Xinhua
reported.

Xinhua said 10 Chinese crew members, including the two wounded
in the incident, were still being detained in Indonesia.