Indonesia has released 39 Vietnamese fishermen after they were arrested for illegally fishing in its waters, according to various media reports.

The fishermen were said to have been repatriated at Indonesia’s Soekarno Hatta International Airport on Tuesday.

Most of them were from the central and southern parts of Viet Nam, including Kien Giang, Quang Binh and Quang Ngai. They were detained on Rannai island for between 3 and 4 months.

According to the official Vietnam News Agency, 98 boats and approximately 1,110 fishermen from Vietnam have been captured by Indonesia’s forces since the beginning of this year.

The Viet Nam Embassy in Indonesia has helped 790 go home while the rest are still being confined on various Indonesian islands.

– TiVi Tuan-san