Working for sailors' release from 'floating prison': MEA

(Strap) 23 Indian seafarers to return via Japan, but 18 more still stuck

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 14

While relief from floating prisons is in sight for one batch of the Indian seafarers stuck off the China coast, the Foreign Office said it was closely coordinating with the Beijing authorities to resolve the humanitarian problem facing more sailors aboard MV Anastasia.

“We are closely coordinating with the Chinese authorities who are finalising the process to effect crew change at anchorage. As soon as this is received from the Chinese authorities, the company is expected to initiate the process of crew change,’’ said MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava at a media briefing here on Thursday.

Great Eastern Shipping, which owns MV Jag Anand, informed the government that it had decided to undertake the crew change in Chiba, Japan, where the ship will disembark 23 crew members and take on their replacement. The disembarking crew will be flown back to their home towns in India from Tokyo.

The released ship was in anchorage since June 13 while MV Anastasia with 18 Indians is still stuck at Caofeidian anchorage since August 3.

Last week, Indian Ambassador to China Vikram Misri had spoken to the Chinese Vice Foreign Minister and got early approval for crew change of seafarers aboard two ships.

About six dozen ships carrying Australian coal and manned by foreign seafarers have been waiting outside the Chinese ports since June last year. Beijing has refused to let them unload but importers and ship charterers want the ships to wait.