The Jakarta Post carried the story of the 32 Indonesian fishermen who deserted the South Korean deep-sea trawler Oyang 75 in Christchurch in June 2011.

Dr. Ani Kartikasari who was the Christchurch Indonesian Society president at the time describes how she found the 32 men shivering in a church. "They were very cold, most wearing cotton jackets," she said.

"The heaters on the walls were on but their faces could not hide the exhaustion and fatigue from the previous sleepless night when they discussed their plight together."

They have been hailed as heroes. "Their actions have cleared the path for other crews to follow and exposed the wrongs so many have suffered," said the Rev. Jolyon White, social justice enabler for the Anglican Church.

His assessment was echoed by Christchurch Indonesian Society president "Nonie" Elyana Thenu and her predecessor, Ani Kartikasari. "They are brave men, heroes," they said. "What they've done has made a difference."

Source

• The Jakarta Post
• Image: The Jakarta Post

That's what Dr Christina Stringer, senior lecturer at the university's Department of Management and International Business, told a meeting of Catholic Religious Against Human Trafficking at St Benedict's church crypt, Newton, on July 25.

Dr Stringer and co-researcher Glenn Simmons had interviewed 76 Indonesian crew who had been aboard 12 Korean vessels from 1998 to 2011, as well as amassing thousands of documents.

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There has been a civil arrest on the Melilla 201 in Lyttelton Harbour this afternoon.

Anti slavery group Free Seas says it instigated the arrest.

Trust spokesman Craig Tuck said it is the second Korean Fishing ship that has been arrested in New Zealand.