Trending in South Korean Media, This is the Fate of 14 Indonesian Citizens Treated Like Slaves on a Chinese Ship

Kapanlagi.com - Recently, netizens were shocked by a video from a YouTuber named Jang Hansol. The South Korean man who grew up in Indonesia reviewed a news report from South Korean media, MBC News, about a number of Indonesian citizens who were treated like slaves, inhumane as crew members on a ship.

It was so sensational that the news even became trending in South Korea. And after investigation, the Indonesian crew members were on a ship called Long Sing 629 owned by China.

The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that there were 14 Indonesian crew members working on that ship. Joedha Nugraha, the Director General of PWNI and BHI Kemlu, explained that the Indonesian crew members actually wanted to return to their homeland, but were hindered by the cost.

"Our KBRI in Seoul has coordinated with the ship's agent, Visco, appointed by the principal party in China since April 16, 2020, including facilitating the arrival of our 14 crew members," Joedha said as quoted from Liputan6.com.

1. Undergoing Quarantine Period

Recently, the 14 crew members landed at the port of Busan, South Korea. As per the regulations set by the South Korean government, they must undergo a 14-day quarantine period at a hotel in Busan.

The latest information states that the return of the 14 Indonesian crew members has been arranged, specifically on May 8th. This date coincides with the end of their self-quarantine period.

2. Bodies Thrown into the Sea

Illustration of a sunken ship. Illustration: Kriminologi.id

In one of the videos shown by MBC media, there is a crew member who died and their body was thrown into the sea. Unfortunately, when the investigation was about to be conducted at the port, the ship had already resumed its journey.

According to a witness's testimony, there have been 4 crew members who died during the ship's journey. Shockingly, all their bodies were thrown into the sea by the ship's crew. MBC also presented a statement from the crew members expressing their willingness to be cremated in case of any unfortunate incident resulting in their death on the ship.

3. Drinking Sea Water

Not only that, according to a testimony presented by MBC, the working conditions on the Chinese-owned ship were not suitable, including the exploitation of the existing workforce. Furthermore, according to the testimony, the deceased crew member had been sick for a month prior.

"At first, his legs were swollen, then it attacked his body and he had difficulty breathing," said a witness presented by MBC.

The situation was described even worse when there were reports that the mineral water brought for supplies on the ship was only consumed by the Chinese crew. Meanwhile, the Indonesian crew was only allowed to drink filtered sea water.

"I constantly felt dizzy and couldn't drink that water at all. There were even times when there was phlegm here," continued the witness.

4. Working 18 Hours, Salary IDR 1.7 Million

Another witness said that the working hours of the ABK reached 18 hours, while the rest time was only 6 hours. The wages they received during 13 months of work were only around US$ 120 or Rp 1.7 million. In other words, their monthly salary is only around Rp 100,000.

(lip/gtr)