18 INDONESIAN SHIP CREWMEN SENT HOME FROM PHILIPPINES

Jakarta, Nov 12 (ANTARA) - The remains of 18 Indonesian crewmen of a Taiwanese fishing ship gutted in an explosion early in this month have been sent to Jakarta from Aparri port, Philippines, according to the Indonesian Foreign Ministry Wednesday.

The flight to Indonesia was arranged by the Indonesian embassy in Manila, immigration office in Manila and Aparri, and the Taiwanese company operating the ship.
The Indonesian crewmen had been flown to Jakarta last week but one of them, Nurokhim (23), was still missing since the accident occurred.
The ministry said its embassy in Manila was working together with its missions in Beijing, Hong Kong and Taipei to find Nurokhim.
Fifteen of the 18 crewmen had received temporary passports from the Indonesian embassy in Manila as they lost their passports in the explosion when the ship Tay Shyang Tsair was in the Fujian waters in China.
The ministry revealed that most of the Indonesian crewmen had not received their wages for the last 2 to 10 months from the Taiwanese company which hired them.
"The Indonesian embassy in Manila in a cooperation with related institutions in Jakarta will help them obtain their wages," it said.