Regent of East Aceh writes to Foreign Minister over arrest of East Aceh fishermen in Thailand

Banda Aceh — The Regent of East Aceh, Iskandar Usman Al-Farlaky, has written to Indonesia’s Foreign Minister regarding the arrest of 19 fishermen from the region by Thai authorities.

“We have written to the Indonesian Foreign Minister through the Directorate General for the Protection of Indonesian Citizens regarding 19 fishermen from East Aceh who have been arrested and detained by Thai authorities,” said Iskandar Usman Al-Farlaky when contacted from Banda Aceh on Saturday.

Previously, 19 fishermen from East Aceh Regency from two vessels were arrested in Thai waters on 11 March 2026. They were reportedly in Thai territorial waters illegally.

The two fishing vessels from East Aceh were KM Anak Manja 02, weighing 26 gross tonnes (GT) with 13 crew members and one captain, and KM Jalur Gaza, weighing 7 GT with four crew members and one captain.

The regent stated that the letter requested the Indonesian Foreign Minister, specifically the Directorate General for the Protection of Indonesian Citizens, to facilitate legal certainty and assured resolution for the fishermen.

“We hope the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will follow up on this letter and assist in facilitating the handling of the fishermen. We also hope that the fishermen can be repatriated soon,” said Iskandar Usman Al-Farlaky.

The 19 East Aceh fishermen arrested in Thailand included 14 from KM Anak Manja 02, consisting of one captain named Adnan (48) and 13 crew members: Maulana (22), Anwar (52), Rasyidin (44), Raihandy (34), Muzakir (36), Musliadi (32), Zulkifli (23), Novindra (23), Darmadan (20), Saifulli (52), Zulkifli (38), Muhammad Yunus (16), and Muhammad Sahputra (18).

The crew from KM Jalur Gaza consisted of one captain named Zarkasyi (34) and four crew members: Hamdani (39), Samsul Bahri (30), Yahdi Kumullah (25), and Syarkawi (47).