Fishermen Believed Massacred By Pirates

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30054, 12 February 1963, Page 13

Fishermen Believed Massacred By Pirates

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

SINGAPORE, Feb. 11. Six of the seven crew members of a Singapore fishing boat are believed to have been massacred by pirates off the Indonesian coast last week, according to a spokesman for the Singapore Fishing Merchants* Association.

The spokesman said the crew metnber, who was apparently the lone survivor, was rescued by a passing fishing boat He was bleeding copiously from several wounds, and had told his rescuers that he had been left to die by the pirates. Hi® rescuers had taken him to a nearby Indonesian island, where be wa® being cared for.

The spokesman said the assodation had aslmd the Singapore Government to provide marine police pro-

tection for Singapore's fishing vessels. The spokesman said the fisherman who rescued the survivor had told the man’s story. The wounded man said that the fishing boat left Singapore on February 1 to pick up a cargo of fish from Indonesia.

Passing the Indonesian islands near Singapore, the vessel picked up seven passengers from two island 3 Three of the passengers had a small boat, which the fishing boat took in tow. That night, the seven passengers produced knives and attacked the crew. The survivor was one of the first attacked, and he fainted from his wounds. When he awoke, another crew member was lying dead on the deck, and the other five crew members were miss- ™ There was no sign of peseengen or their boat