By Lauren Crothers
PHNOM PENH
Cambodia’s Foreign Ministry has joined forces with Indonesian officials to rescue 199 fishermen, bringing to more than 300 the number of Cambodians freed from slave-like conditions on Thai fishing boats in the archipelago.
A government official told Anadolu Agency on Saturday that more fishermen held in servitude are to be repatriated in early June.
On Saturday, The Cambodia Daily newspaper cited a Foreign Ministry statement, released Friday, which confirmed the rescue of the men from boats operating off the Indonesian island of Ambon.
“Because the 199 Cambodian laborers do not have passports, the embassy will issue travel documents and intervene for Thai fishing boat owners to pay salaries and fees for traveling to Cambodia at the end of June,” it quoted the statement as saying.
The update comes just three weeks after 59 Cambodian fishermen were repatriated after being rescued from other Thai-captained boats and ending up on the Indonesian island of Benjina.
At the time, Cambodian officials said more fishermen would be interviewed and arrangements made for their repatriation.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Koy Kuong told Anadolu Agency late Saturday that the Cambodian Embassy in Jakarta is continuing to investigate the possibility of finding more fishermen in similar conditions.
"We have the Embassy in Jakarta and the people there are working with the Indonesian authorities," he said.
"In Ambon there are nearly 200 people there according to our embassy, and they will be back late June.
"In Benjina, there are 38 more people and maybe in the first week of June, they will be arriving back here," Kuong added.
