1. APBD: 12 x 4 lines
1. APBD: 12 x 4 lines Papua to drop student fees, increase teacher salaries
With new powers under the special autonomy laws, the provincial legislature in Irian Jaya (Papua) has dropped all fees for elementary and high school students as of the 2002/2003 academic year to give children more of an opportunity to receive a quality education.
Jerry Haurissa, chief of the local education office, said financial issues had been one of the main problems preventing school-age children from attending school.
"With the new policy, all Papuan children aged between six and 18 are expected to go to school in attempt to improve the human resource quality in the province," he told The Jakarta Post here on Tuesday.
He admitted that various political and military conflicts had affected schools, by causing many teachers to return to their home provinces while many students chose to stay home.
"We will hire more and more teachers from other provinces with higher salaries and interesting incentives to encourage them to work in remote areas," he said.
2. Box: 18 x 2 lines Soldiers quizzed over police post attack
The Military Police in Pematang Siantar, North Sumatra, are questioning three Indonesian Military (TNI) soldiers for their alleged role in an attack on the Serbelawan Police subprecinct post on Monday night.
Bukit Barisan Military Command spokesman Lt. Col. Nurdin Sulistiyo said on Wednesday that Second Sgt. Tigor Marbun, First Sgt. Hotma Tunggul Samosir and Chief Sgt. Arif had been arrested for allegedly inciting their comrades to attack the police post.
The attack left an officer, Second Brig. Marudut Panjaitan, severely injured with stab wounds.
3. Padang: 18 x 2 lines Thousands support cement firm reshuffle
Thousands of protesters expressed on Wednesday their support for a government plan to dismiss the current management of state cement maker PT Semen Padang, lending fresh backing to the company's privatization efforts.
Grouped under the Forum for the People of Padang (FPM-KP), the demonstrators charged the current management as corrupt and lacking commitment to the local community.
The mass protest followed a three-year long dispute between Jakarta and local politicians opposing the sale of Semen Padang.
4. Lake: 21 x 2 lines No action taken to restore damaged Lake Tondano
Locals and tourists are no longer able to enjoy the beauty of Lake Tondano, some 37 kilometers north of here in Minahasa Regency, as it has been suffering from serious environmental deterioration for many decades.
Fewer and fewer locals and tourists picnic along the lake's shores following the disappearance of tourist resorts and recreation spots due to increasing population. Many locals now use the lake's shores for fishing and farming.
"The lake is no longer attractive for visitors as it has suffered serious environmental degradation. This is just one of negative impacts the environmental degradation has had on local people and the local administration's income," Sri Hardiyanti, a researcher from the National Resources Management organization, told The Jakarta Post here on Wednesday.