Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/03/02
By: Kuan-lin Liu, Tsai Chia-ling and Elaine Hou

Taipei, March 2 (CNA) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has urged Indonesia not to detain Taiwanese fishing boats without just cause after Taiwanese vessels detained by Indonesian authorities in three separate incidents in February were all cleared of illegal activity.

The ministry issued its appeal in a statement Friday after the last of the boats, the “Fu Yu” (富雨號), was released on Thursday, after having been detained since Feb. 24, first by the Malaysian government and then handed over to the Indonesian government.

The ministry said Indonesia stepped up routine inspections of boats traveling close to its borders after Feb. 20, when it found a Taiwanese fishing boat falsely flying a Singapore flag and carrying 1.6 metric tons of crystal methamphetamine.

In the case of the “Fu Yu,” Indonesian authorities kept the boat at Bintan Island while it investigated.    [FULL  STORY]