Image Courtesy Ministry of Envioronment & Foresty
The Indonesian government is facing scrutiny for the alleged unlawful detention of three Indian seafarers amidst a dispute with the ship operator. This move comes as a means to compel the operator to secure compensation for the removal of the vessel.
The vessel in question, “MT AASHI,” boasting a deadweight tonnage of 5000 dwt, encountered treacherous weather conditions on February 10th while en route with 1900 tons of asphalt from Dubai to Indonesia. Realizing the ship was taking on water due to a hull breach, the crew sought permission from Indonesian authorities to anchor near the Nias Islands. Subsequently, all 20 crew members evacuated. The spilled asphalt was promptly cleaned by Indonesian authorities.
However, the ship’s condition worsened, leading to a tilt and eventual submersion of approximately 80%. By February 24th, 17 crew members had been repatriated, leaving behind Captain Sanjeev Kumar, Chief Engineer Sanjay Kumar Pandey, and Chief Officer Siyab Salam for further investigation.
Following this, the passports of the trio were confiscated, and Indonesian authorities, including local police, coast guard, and port officials, seized all investigative documents. While the investigation revealed various ship deficiencies and its unseaworthiness, it also cleared the detained individuals of any responsibility for environmental damage caused by the ship’s grounding.
Despite this, the Indonesian government has persisted in confining the men to house arrest in a Nias Island hotel for the past seven months. Aashi Shipping, the vessel’s operator based in Liberia, has deemed the ship a total loss. A virtual meeting held on June 4th to discuss the crew’s release saw no representation from the owner or technical manager of the vessel.
The Indian embassy in Jakarta is now urging Indonesian authorities to swiftly resolve the matter and release the seafarers. They emphasize that the salvage and cleanup of the sunken vessel are entirely unrelated to the actions of these seafarers.
