Nusakambangan, a beautiful tourist resort<\/p>\n
Slamet Susanto and Blontak Poer, The Jakarta Post, Cilacap, Central Java<\/p>\n
Nusakambangan, an island of some 21,000 square meters located
\nsouth of Cilacap regency in Central Java, has long been known as
\na prison island where first-class criminals ranging from thieves
\nand murderers to corruptors and terrorists are locked up under
\nmaximum security.<\/p>\n
Convicted corrupter Pande Lubis, hammer killer Rio Alek Bulo,
\n83 convicted defendants of the Aceh separatist movement and
\nhundreds of killers and robbers are all residents of the infamous
\nisland.<\/p>\n
The island has had an eerie image for years, especially with
\nthe establishment of hundreds of the Super Maximum Security (SMS)
\ncells designed for convicted terrorists, and a special prison for
\nconvicted drug users and dealers.<\/p>\n
In short, ever since the island was declared off-limits in
\n1905 by the Dutch colonists, nobody has been permitted to enter
\nit. No one has been able to enjoy its beautiful scenery. Little
\nwas known about it at all until 1996 when the island was finally
\nopened to the public as a tourist destination.<\/p>\n
\"It is now opened on weekends and holidays as a place of
\nrecreation. Ever since, the port has always been crowded with
\nvisitors at those times,\" Eko, a guard at a port in Nusakambangan
\ntold The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
According to Woro Santati of Cilacap Tourism Office,
\nNusakambangan was opened as a tourist destination following an
\nagreement between the Central Java Governor and Ministry of
\nJustice in 1996.<\/p>\n
The Cilacap government then invested some Rp 1.7 billion in
\npreparations for the opening up of the island, most of which was
\nused on the construction of tourist-related infrastructure.<\/p>\n
A special agency (BPOW) was also established to manage tourism
\non the island, with the Nusakambangan Prison warden made head of
\nthe agency and Cilacap Tourism Office chief as the deputy.<\/p>\n
It takes 35 minutes by motor boat from Lomanis Port in
\nCilacap, to get to the island's Sodong Port. On the way, tourists
\ncan take in the scenery at Intan Port, the Pertamina complex,
\nSegara Anakan lagoon and the mangrove forest.<\/p>\n
Up to 2000, a tourist had to pay Rp 15,000 to take the trip,
\nwith the minimum number of people at 20 per tour. Of the fee, Rp
\n10,000 was for transportation. The remaining Rp 5,000 was for the
\nprovincial government of Central Java (Rp 600), the regental
\ngovernment of Cilacap (Rp 900), and the Ministry of Justice (Rp
\n3,500).<\/p>\n
\"Since 2000, however, the fees have been increased to Rp
\n20,000 per tourist, in which Rp 15,000 is for transportation, Rp
\n2,500 the prison, Rp 1,500 the regental government and Rp 1,000
\nfor the provincial government,\" Woro explained.<\/p>\n
On weekdays, according to Woro, tourists are also welcome to
\nvisit the island but are required to charter their own boat at a
\nrate of Rp 1.2 billion per tour. They are also required to pay an
\nadditional fee of Rp 13,000, with the minimum number of tourists
\nset at 20.<\/p>\n
The local tourism office noted that during 2003 alone, some
\n100,000 visited the island, generating an income of over Rp 20
\nmillion. \"But we reckoned there would be a decrease this year,
\ndue to the series of legislative and presidential elections,\"
\ninformed Woro, adding that some 2,000 tourists visited the island
\nduring the Idul Fitri holiday season this year.<\/p>\n
Speaking separately, Nusakambangan's Permisan Prison Warden
\nKristadi said that the island had conserved much of its natural
\npotential.<\/p>\n
At Karangbandung beach, Majeti island, the rare Wijayakusuma
\nflower can be found. Myth says this particular flower has the
\nsupernatural power of bringing the dead to life.<\/p>\n
\"West of the island, can be found rare plalar trees. In Solok
\nRanca Babakan there is a beautiful white sand beach,\" said
\nKristadi, suggesting that the management still needed much
\nimprovement, especially with regard to the distribution of
\nrevenue, which he said was unfair.<\/p>\n
At present, he said, there were four prisons on Nusakambangan.
\nInitially, it had nine but the other five were no longer
\noperational. The existing prisons were LP Batu, LP Besi, LP
\nKembang Kuning and LP Permisan.<\/p>\n
\"Unfortunately, not all the prisons have a share of the
\nrevenue. It's not fair as we also have to maintain and mend the
\nfacilities,\" he said.<\/p>\n
In fact, he said, almost all tourists visiting the island
\nusually visit Permisan Prison, which he managed.<\/p>\n
However, none of the revenue goes to Permisan. \"It's annoying.
\nThey visit Permisan, but the revenue goes elsewhere,\" he said.<\/p>",
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