JAKNEWS.COM---Australia deported 43 Indoniesian fishermen from Darwin to Indonesia through Kupang`s El Tari airport, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) at 3 pm local time on Saturday, Indonesian Consul in Darwin Harbangan Napitupul said.

The 43 Indonesian fishermen were crew members of nine fishing boats who were declared innocent by the Australian government.

They are part of 250 Indonesian fishermen who had been taken custody at a Darwin detention center since last April, the consul said.

Napitupulu said his side had contacted Kupang Mayor Daniel Hurek on the arrival of the Indonesian fishermen in Kupang.

"All of the deported fishermen came from South Sulawesi. There are two more fishermen who have been allowed by the Australian governmetn to return to Indonesia. But they are suffering from an illness so that they could not yet be returned," Napitupulu said.

In the meantime, Social Affairs Service Chief of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), Frans Salem said he had received information on the deportation of the Indonesian firshermen.

But, he said, the regional administration of NTT had since 2007 decided not to pick up any Indonesian deportees at the airport.

"We have learnt that there were Indonesian fishermen deported through Kupang`s El Tari airport from Australia. But we decided not to pick up and provide with accommodations," he said.

He said that the regional government took the decision because the Indonesian fishermen were generally those who had repeatedly been arrested and deported by the Austrialn authorities.
 

nANT/JAK01