1. HIV: 8 x 4 lines
1. HIV: 8 x 4 lines
HIV rate rises alarmingly in Riau Batam was rocked by two explosive news in July 2002 when two residents with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) died in separate places on the tourist island.
Thirty-six-year-old Rukiyati who came from Kendal, Central Java, was found dead at Sekupang Seaport and 39-year-old Laysau, a resident of Kampong Dalam, died of the fatal disease at the Batam Authority General Hospital.
Rukiyati's corpse was attacked by flies when it was recovered by staff of the local social affairs office while Laysau died at the presence of his relatives in the hospital.
Rukiyati and Laysau are two of 20 people who have died of the fatal disease on the island over the last ten years. The total number of people with AIDS is 21. The number of people detected to have been infected by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has reached 97, including the 21.
Besides Batam, Tanjung Balai Karimun is also known a fertile heaven for HIV/AIDS spread in Riau province since it has developed its tourism industry to lure tourists from neighbor countries of Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.
There is no accurate data on the number of people infected by HIV/AIDS on the regency but local authorities put the figure similar to Batam.
2. Ikan: 20 x 2 lines Illegal fishing still rampant in RI waters: Minister Fish theft by foreign fishermen reaches between one million tons and 1.5 million tons annually due to the absence of tight supervision from the authorities, says Minister of Maritime Resources Development Rokhmin Dahuri.
He said security authorities could not work optimally because of the limited amount of equipment, including patrol boats and human resources, and the large sea territory of the country.
"Fish theft will remain rampant in the future unless necessary action in terms of qualified human resources and adequate equipment are taken to tighten security on the waters," he said in his address to the meeting of Coordinating Forum for Fish Resources Utilization (FKPPS) here on Tuesday.
Rokhmin declined to identify the foreign fishermen's countries of origins but said Indonesia has captured around 150 foreign ships fishing illegally in Indonesian waters.
"A number of foreigners are still serving their jail sentences in a number of prisons after being found guilty of fishing illegally in Indonesian waters," he said.
Local fishermen in numerous regions across the country have frequently complained about the rampant illegal fishing by Thai, Philippine and Taiwan fishermen.
Numerous foreign fishing ships have deployed sophisticated technology to detect security authorities' patrol boats as well as waters containing fish.
Asked to comment on the North Sumatra fishermen's complaints about the absence of security on the waters, Rokhmin admitted that the security problem had long disturbed fishermen in Belawan waters but authorities could not take the necessary measures because of the absence of patrol boats and money.
3. Trip: 36 x 1 line East Java legislature delays travel plans The East Java legislative council has finally agreed to postpone its 19 members' plan to make an overseas visit late this month, bowing to mounting public pressures.
The legislative council sparked condemnations recently as its 19-member Commission E unveiled a plan to visit Malaysia, Singapore, Germany and France from Aug. 25 through Sept. 5 for what critics said was a non-essential mission.
The councillors will conduct comparative studies on education, labor and health management in those Asian and European countries.
Following the harsh protests, the legislature's commission decided during its meeting on Tuesday to delay the trip and review the plan whether it would be canceled or not in the future.
"Councillors have agreed that the plan is postponed. We have also agreed to review its urgency, purposes and targets to be achieved," said Luthfillah Masduqi, deputy chairman of the commission.
He said the delay was made for several considerations, particularly the unresolved problems with the repatriation by Malaysia's government of illegal workers, many of them from East Java.
"This case should be given a serious attention from the commission so as to be tackled thoroughly," added Luthfillah, also a legislator of the local chapter of the National Awakening Party (PKB).
Besides, he said, the planned trip still lacks a "mature and clear concept", which requires further discussions on its mission, goal and targeted countries in order that it would be effective and efficient.
He vowed not to join the visit postponed until at least September if his colleagues wanted to go ahead with it anytime in the future.
Critics from local non-governmental organizations, academics and community leaders slammed the planned trip, saying it would only waste the time and state money.
4. Sumbar: 32 x 1 line Legislator refuses to be interrogated West Sumatra legislature chairman Arwan Kasri has refused to be interrogated by the prosecutor's office who are investigating alleged corruption in the provincial legislative council.
Halius Hosen, chief of the prosecutor's office in Padang, West Sumatra, regretted Arwan's refusal to cooperate, saying his decision would prolong the investigation.
"Arwan Kasri should set a good example to other councillors to encourage legal certainty and law enforcement in the legislative body," he told reporters here recently.
The prosecutor's office has already questioned the secretary of the legislature's treasurer and determined the council's 2002 budget contains discrepancies.
The investigation was launched after a number of corruption complaints from members of the public.
M. Zen Gomo, a councillor from the local chapter of the National Mandate Party, has refused to appear for work following the presentation of the controversial budget.
He said he would only return once the legislative council revised the budget.
The budget has sparked criticism from numerous university student bodies, but their demands have been ignored.
The budget allocates Rp 1.7 billion for insurance for the 55 council members and Rp 1.32 billion for councillor's welfare.
5. Judi: 16 x 2 lines
Prostitutes go on strike in Kupang Hundreds of hoodlums, gambling bosses and prostitutes grouped under the The Poor People's Union (SKM) went on strike on Wednesday in Kupang, capital of East Nusa Tenggara province, demanding the city administration and legislative council legalize gambling and prostitution.
The demonstrators said the city administration could introduce a bylaw to legalize gambling and prostitution in a restricted area of the city. They said this would help raise the municipal administration's income and create job opportunities for hoodlums and prostitutes.
Jefri Leonard Un Taolin, spokesman for The Poor People's Union, said in a free speech forum held at Kupang's mayoralty office that gambling and prostitution in the city should be legalized because 80 percent of the city's residents were living in poverty.
"This will also raise the city's income," he said.
Kupang Mayor S.K. Lerik ruled out the demonstrators' demands, saying the city administration would never legalize gambling and prostitution because they were against Indonesian culture and morality.