HUNDREDS of foreign fishermen jumped at the chance to be rescued yesterday from an isolated Indonesian island where slavery is rife.

Indonesian officials investigating abuses had offered to take them away, out of concern for the men’s safety.

The crewmen, from countries including Myanmar and Cambodia, heard of the chance of rescue as a downpour started and sprinted back to their boats, jumping over rails and through windows in the rush to be rescued.

The authorities’ small boat went from trawler to trawler picking up men who wanted to go and was soon loaded down.

Indonesian Marine Resources and Fisheries Surveillance director general Asep Burhundun initially told about 20 men from Myanmar that he would remove them from Benjina village to neighboring Tual island for their safety following interviews with officials.

But as news spread that men were being helped to leave, dozens of others started filing in.

When Mr Burhundun was asked if others hiding in the jungle could come as well, he said: “They can all come.

“We don’t want to leave a single person behind.”

The delegation began assessing the situation on the island this week, following stories of abuse in the international press.

The men described their abuse, which included being kicked, whipped with stingray tails and given electric shocks.

Some said they fell ill and were not given medicine. Others said they had been promised jobs in Thailand but instead were taken to Indonesia, where they were made to work long hours with little or no pay.

by Our Foreign Desk