Taiwan says RI water dangerous

Taiwan says RI water dangerous

TAIPEI: Taiwan has declared Indonesian waters a "highly dangerous
zone" after an attack on a Taiwanese boat by pirates, or possibly
the boat's Indonesian crew, a Taipei newspaper reported Saturday.

"Since last year, Indonesian pirates have been targeting
Taiwanese fishing boats, so Taiwanese fishing boats should keep
away from Indonesian waters," the Fisheries Administration said
in a report by the United Daily News.

There are about 600 vessels fishing for tuna in Indonesian
waters, but they can move to other fishing grounds like the
Marshall Islands, Malaysia, Thailand and Sri Lanka, the paper
said.

The latest case was the High Aim No. 6, which left Taiwan on
Oct. 31, but was found drifting without her crew off the coast of
Western Australia on Jan. 6.

The 65-ton, 20-meter boat was manned by Taiwanese captain Chen
Tai-cheng, chief engineer Lin Chung-li and 10 Indonesian crew.
The last call Lin made to his family on his mobile phone was on
Nov. 16.

United Daily News said Saturday that Indonesian police had
arrested nine Indonesian pirates who were suspected of having
attacked the High Aim No. 6 in December. At that time, the boat
carried 600 tons of fish.

The paper's reporter in Indonesia quoted the West Sulawesi
police chief as saying that the nine men were arrested on Jan. 11
and Jan. 12.

"Indonesian police did not say if the nine pirates had links
with the nine Indonesian crew on High Aim No. 6, or if captain
Chen and chief engineer Lin are still alive," the paper said.
--DPA