Bali schools need renovation

Bali schools need renovation

DENPASAR, Bali: A number of elementary school buildings built
in the 1970s in Bali are in need of renovation because of their
sheer age.

I Gusti Ngurah Oka, chief of the local education and culture
office, said most of the aged school buildings were located in
Karangasem regency and, so far, only a few had been renovated due
to financial limitations.

Some of the buildings could no longer be used and classes were
being held in the open air but such a situation could not
persist, especially during the rainy season, he said.

"The condition of school buildings does not affect school
activities," he said.

Ngurah Oka said several regencies were also lacking schools,
such that many students had to travel a long distance to go to
school.

"Most students living in remote areas have to walk six
kilometers (km) to 10 km to reach their schools," he said.
--Antara

S'poreans seeks security pledge

BATAM, Riau: Singaporean businessmen called on local
authorities to provide a security assurance for their investments
on the island.

Eddy, president of PT Barelang Wood Industry on the island,
said it would be difficult for the country to attract more
foreign investors to invest on the island unless security
authorities gave them a security assurance.

He said the timber company, which had invested Rp 800 billion
on the island, could not operate because the plant had been
blockaded by local people since last October.

Many people who owned land appropriated by local authorities
for the plant had blockaded it because they had not yet received
any compensation for the land.

Eddy also said a number of businessmen were also concerned
about two brawls between four ethnic groups last week, which left
many youths injured and seven cars damaged by fire.

"Security authorities should take strict action against all
involved in the brawls and those who burned the cars," he said.

He warned that Indonesia would lose out in international
competition with China, Myanmar, the Philippines and Malaysia to
attract more investors. --Antara

Forested areas damaged in Bandung

BANDUNG, West Java: Around 50,000 hectares of protected forest
that have functioned as a catchment area for the provincial
capital of Bandung are in a damaged state due to intensive
development of housing compounds and illegal logging over the
last three years.

Damage in the protected forest has caused flooding in the city
and severe erosion and sedimentation along the Citarum River,
according to data from the local forestry office.

"We are working to reforest all barren areas in the protected
forest but it cannot function as well as it did in the past,"
Kartiwa, chief of the local forestry office, said here on Monday.

He said a total of 35,600 hectares of forest in 275 villages
around Bandung had been converted into farmland.

"The forest in Cimeyan, Lembang, Cisarua and Parompong is in a
poor state due of the housing development. So far, we have
reforested only 3,000 hectares with assistance from the Japan
International Cooperation Agency," he said. --Antara

Police, TNI involved in clash

ATAMBUA, East Nusa Tenggara: A number of police and Army
personnel were involved in a clash at a gambling location in
Sesekoe, Umanen, Belu regency, on Sunday.

Witnesses, who asked to remain anonymous, said the clash
occurred when three policemen tried to apprehend a number of
soldiers, who were involved in gambling activities in the area.

The soldiers, from Infantry Battalion 743/PSY, wore civilian
clothes when they took part in the gambling.

The clash ended after the servicemen's superior and several
officers from the local military police went to the site.

The local police raided the gambling site after receiving a
tip-off from local people.

A policeman was kicked in the stomach while several others
were involved in a fracas with servicemen and hoodlums.

The serviceman who kicked the policeman in the stomach was put
into detention by the local police for further investigation.

Chief of the Belu Military Subdistrict Lt. Col. Didi Sudiana
said the clash had been caused by a misunderstanding between the
servicemen and the police.

"I will deal sternly with any servicemen who were involved in
the gambling," he said.

Chief of the Belu Police Precinct Adj. Sr. Comr. Nender Yani
said the local police would interrogate their personnel involved
in the clash.

He said he would coordinate with the chief of the local
military subdistrict to prevent such a case from occurring in the
future. --Antara

57 escape police detention

SERANG, Banten: A total of 57 women and men, who were netted
in a drug operation, escaped Cilegon Police detention on Sunday
before they were due to be interrogated.

However, the local police interrogated 89 others; three of
them were found in possession of banned drugs while 59 others did
not have identity cards.

Betti Indiani, 31, Anani Syarif, 31, and Djoko, 39, were
detained for further investigation when the police confiscated a
number of inex pills from them.

They were taken to the police detention center after being
picked up at Bojong Village, close to Anyer tourist resort, which
has become well-known for its drug parties at weekends.

The 59 who did not have identity cards were fined Rp 10,000
each.

Deputy chief of Cilegon Police Precinct Sr. Comr. Syamsuddin
said the operation had been carried out after the police had
received many tip-offs and complaints from local people about
frequent weekend drug parties at the coastal resort.

In addition, the police also confiscated 14 cars and 21
motorcycles, which were suspected to have been used to conceal
the drugs. --Antara