21 mars 2016 - CHINAʼS COAST GUARD RAMS FISHING BOAT TO FREE IT FROM INDONESIAN AUTHORITIES

Description:

China’s Coast Guards rammed one of its own ﬁshing boats to set it free after it was seized by Indonesian authorities. The Chinese boat, the Kway Fey, was apprehended by a special task force vessel on Saturday for illegally ﬁshing within Indonesia’s maritime exclusive economic zone. The vessel and crew were being transported back to a base on the Natuna Islands when a Chinese Coast Guard vessel, which had been following the Indonesian ship, approached and rammed the ﬁshing boat, in an attempt to compel the Indonesian authorities to release it. While the Chinese boat was eventually let go, the detained captain and crew remained in custody. Jakarta reacted with fury, with foreign minister Retno Marsudi handing over an ofﬁcial letter of protest about the confrontation to the Chinese Embassy. The Chinese Foreign Ministry, however, called the area where the incident occurred 'traditional Chinese ﬁshing grounds' and said the coast guard vessel did not enter Indonesian territorial waters. They also requested Indonesia to immediately release the detained Chinese ﬁshermen and ensure their physical safety.

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/22/world/asia/indonesia-south-chinasea-ﬁshing-boat.html?module=inline