19 sawmills face closure in Lombok
MATARAM, West Nusa Tenggara: At least 19 sawmills in West Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), will likely be closed by local authorities for failing to possess operational licenses, the head of the local forestry office Suhayatman said on Monday.
He said the planned closure was also because the supply of basic materials for the businesses was now very limited.
The 19 sawmills require around 380 cubic meters of logs per day to survive, he added.
Suhayatman said the sawmills had purchased most of their basic materials from log smugglers following the closure of forestry company PT Angka Wijaya in recent months, which used to supply them with wood.
"We are cautious that if the sawmills are allowed to operate further, massive clearance of forests will continue. So far, there have been around 3,000 hectares of forest in West Lombok seriously damaged," he said. --Antara
Rape on the rise in West Kalimantan
PONTIANAK, West Kalimantan: At least 80 cases of violence against women and children were recorded during the January-April period this year in West Kalimantan, a legal aid association said on Monday.
Hairiyah, who heads the province's Indonesian Women's Association for Justice (APIK), said that at least 36 of the cases were rape or other sexual assaults against women and children.
She blamed the increase of the cases on the rising consumption of drugs and the spread of pornographic VCDs among local males, and the parents' poor surveillance of their children.
Hairiyah said he backs calls for rapists to receive heavier sentences than the current penalty which is usually far less than 12 years in jail, should they even be found guilty.
Local psychologist Roslina said that in an effort to prevent more violence, women should avoid stimulating sexual passion in men through their "impolite" dress. --Antara
Team of female painters lauded by Muri
SEMARANG: The Indonesian Record Museum (Muri) has included a team of 100 female painters from Bandung, West Java, in its record for their achievement in creating a huge painting on a 100-meter long canvas.
"The team deserves to receive an appreciation award from the record museum for its rare achievement. It is even the first to happen in Indonesia," head of Central Java's Muri Paulus Pangka said in Semarang.
He said the giant painting, which was part of the Kartini Day celebration, was finished in only 100 minutes on Sunday.
The team should be held up as an example for other Indonesians to attempt similar achievements, because that was necessary to be a developed country, he added. --Antara