Indonesian fisherman Petrus Crisologus Tunabenani was reported missing in Mauritius in February 2021. His father wrote a letter to Pope Francis asking for help in finding out what happened to him. (Photo supplied)
The family of one of seven Indonesian fishermen who disappeared in Mauritius last year has written a letter to Pope Francis asking him to push authorities on the Indian Ocean island to find out and reveal what happened to them.
Gabriel Ulu Tunabenani, father of missing fisherman Petrus Crisologus Tunabenani, told UCA News he wrote to the pope because all other avenues had been exhausted, including asking Indonesia’s president and parliament for help.
"I hope this case can get the Holy Father’s or the Vatican’s attention," said Gabriel, a Catholic from Atambua Diocese in East Nusa Tenggara province.
The seven fishermen — two of whom are Catholics — worked on two Taiwanese-flagged vessels and were reported missing on Feb. 26, 2021, while in Mauritius waters.
According to an advocacy organization helping the families, they were declared missing after a clash with Vietnamese fishermen who were also on the two ships.
Gabriel said he sought the pope’s help on the advice of priests and nuns whom he met in Atambua recently at a meeting attended by families of human trafficking victims.
"The Vatican may be able to send a diplomatic note to prompt the Mauritius government to investigate this issue"
“They told me that Pope Francis was deeply concerned about migrant issues,” he said. "My hope is that if my son is still alive, please send him home. Even if he has died, I ask for his body to be returned."
Gabriel said his 27-year-old son was due to return home two days after being reported missing.
Martinus Gabriel Goa Sola, director of the church-linked Advocacy Service for Justice and Peace in Indonesia who assisted the victims, told UCA News that the letter was sent to the Vatican via email and a hard copy was also submitted with the help of an Indonesian priest, Divine Word Father Markus Solo Kewuta, who serves on the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue at the Vatican.
"The Vatican may be able to send a diplomatic note to prompt the Mauritius government to investigate this issue," he said.
During a media briefing in February, Judha Nugraha, director of protection for Indonesian citizens at the Indonesian Foreign Ministry, said requests had been made for the Mauritius government to shed light on the case.
According to a report released in May last year by Greenpeace Southeast Asia and the Indonesian Migrant Workers Union, they are vulnerable to forced labor
He said that according to Mauritius authorities, there were indications of criminal acts that triggered the men’s disappearance, but he did not elaborate.
Thousands of Indonesians are believed to work on fishing vessels, most of which are Taiwanese or Chinese owned.
According to a report released in May last year by Greenpeace Southeast Asia and the Indonesian Migrant Workers Union, they are vulnerable to forced labor.
Some 62 cases were reported between May 2019 and June 2020, a sharp rise on the 34 reported between December 2018 and July 2019.
The four main complaints were deception, withholding of wages, excessive working hours and physical and sexual abuse.
