Three Vietnamese sailors working aboard Taiwanese ship FV Tai Yuan 227 seized by Somali pirates on May 6, 2010 have been released and are on their way to the Mauritius Port of the Republic of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean.
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| Nguyen Xuan Hoanh and his wife anxiously waiting for news of their son - Nguyen Van Tam |
The Tourist, Trade and Labor Export Joint Stock Company (TTLC) yesterday said that the information was provided by the owner of the ship.
The released sailors are Nguyen Tien Anh, 32, from Ky Anh District, Ha Tinh Province; Truong Van Hieu, from Dac Ha District, Kon Tum Province; and Tran Van Tri, 22, from Quynh Luu District, Nghe An Province.
After nine months in captivity by the pirates, they were set free along with 25 other crew members, including nine from China, seven from Kenya, four from Indonesia, three from the Philippines, and two from Mozambique.
The Taiwanese owner of ship Tai Yuan 227 yesterday said the ship would travel to Taiwan’s Gaoxiong City after it landed at the Mauritius Port, according to Nguyen Huu Phong, head of the Crew Department of the TTLC.
Mr. Phong said when the ship returns to Taiwan, TTLC will work with the Taiwanese side as soon as it can so that the sailor can reunite with their families.
Ms. Tran Thi Hue, Tri’s mother, said Tri called home on February 2 informing that he was released and wished the family a happy Tet.
Tri left home for Taiwan on September 30, 2009 under a three-year labor contract with a monthly salary of US$250, said Ms. Hue.
After relevant expenses deducted from the salary by Imasco, the company that sent Tri to Taiwan, Tri’s net income is $160 per month.
“Tri is our eldest son. He just finished junior high school education. After my son returns home, I will never allow him to work abroad again. I would let him do farming to earn a living rather than working at sea in danger of pirates,” she said.
Meanwhile, Tran Tuong, father of Tran Minh Tri, 21, a sailor who worked for Taiwanese ship Shiuh Fu-1 seized by Somalia pirates in November 2010, have so far received no news about his son’s situation.
Similarly, the family of Nguyen Van Tam, 20, has been waiting for information about him, who also worked for Shiuh Fu-1.
“Due to our family’s poverty, Tam had to work as sailor abroad when he completed his high school education. He has left home nearly a year. During the past Tet, my husband and I often cried for our son. We do not know what his situation is now,” said Hoang Thi Xuyen, Tam’s mother.
During the past weeks until now, Nguyen Xuan Hoanh, Tam’s father, called Imasco everyday for information about his son but he received no news from the company.
Currently, 36 Vietnamese sailors remain captured by Somalia pirates. They include 12 sailors from Taiwanese ship Shiuh Fu-1 and 24 another from the Hoang Son Sun, owned by the Hoang Son Sea Transportation Co., Ltd. There has not been any information about the release of those sailors.