Thailand Arrests Cambodians for Possible Illegal Fishing

[geovalin]

 

Thai marine police surrounded 11 fishing boats filled with 55 Cambodians on Sunday morning and arrested them for allegedly fishing in Thai waters, according to an informant and a rights group. Prum Narin, who identified himself as an informant, said it was unusual that the Thai marine police arrested the 55 Cambodians as they had been fishing at the same spot for years.
 

“Fifty-five Cambodians including two or three children were arrested by Thai marine police who came on three or four ships yesterday morning,” he said. Mr. Narin said that as of yesterday, there had been no information of their release and there was seemingly no response from provincial authorities who said they were busy when he contacted them.
 

In Kongchit, coordinator for rights group Licadho in Koh Kong province, echoed the unusual arrest of the Cambodian fishermen. “Those fishermen have fished in the area for about 10 years and there was no recorded case of arrest. In previous cases, Thai marine officials only climbed aboard to check the boat,” he said, adding that the spot they were arrested was 27 kilometers from Koh Sdech, an island off the Cambodian coast popular with tourists.

 

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