Batam autonomy

Batam autonomy
worries investors

BATAM, Riau: Implementation of regional autonomy on Batam
island is worrying investors from neighboring Singapore.

Like businesspeople from other parts of the world,
Singaporeans have not yet received sufficient information about
the autonomy that Indonesia's central government gave to
regencies one year ago.

Antara reported on Tuesday that the issue of autonomy for
Batam was raised by Singaporean businesspeople every time they
met Indonesian diplomats in the city state.

Singaporeans are major investors on the industrial island.

"Autonomy in Batam has become the main topic at every meeting
between embassy officials and Singaporean businesspeople," an
Indonesian diplomat told Antara.

Autonomy for the regencies and mayoralties has had some
undesirable effects, such as inconsistencies in regulations
issued by the local and central governments.

There have been fears that unless legal certainty and security
are assured, investors will stay away from Batam.

;ANTARA;
ANPAa..r..
Across-Aceh-transport
Insecurity cripples transport in Aceh
JP/2/ACROSS

Insecurity cripples
transport in Aceh

BANDA ACEH: Public transport between Banda Aceh, at the
western tip of Aceh, and Aceh Singkil in the east has been
crippled over the past fortnight due to instability in the
region.

CV BAS and CV Aceh Barat, the two bus companies serving the
route every day, stopped their operations two weeks ago following
an incident in Aceh Singkil in which a dozen civilians were
killed.

The military and Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels blamed each
other for the massacre.

The shortest route is normally through the central highland
highways, however, people now have to travel through West and
South Aceh regencies. The journey takes about 15 hours at double
the cost of Rp 50,000.

Another alternative is through the eastern and northern
highways down to the borders with North Sumatra. The trip takes
up to 18 hours at Rp 100,000.

;ANTARA;
ANPAa..r..
Across-Manokwari-threat
Tribalpeople threaten log firm
JP/2/ACROSS

Tribalpeople
threaten log firm

MANOKWARI, Irian Jaya: Tribespeople in Fruata village, Babo
subdistrict, have threatened to forcibly stop the operations of a
logging company, PT Agoda Rimba Irian, unless their demand for
compensation is met.

The villagers claim that the company, a subsidiary of the
Jayanti Group, has felled trees on a 16-square-kilometer area of
their communal land, which lies outside its concession. They
demand compensation of Rp 2 billion.

Willy Nafurbenan, a community elder, said that the illegal
logging on the communal land has caused a substantial loss of
forest products, the locals' livelihood, such as rattan and
resin.

"We have repeatedly written to the company asking the managers
to stop the illegal logging, but our requests have fallen on deaf
ears," Willy told Antara.

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Across-Students-Brawl
Students seek refuge after brawl
JP/2/Across

Students seek
refuge after brawl

MEDAN, North Sumatra: At least 200 students of the Catholic
University of St. Thomas here started seeking refuge at the
provincial legislative council building on Tuesday for fear that
residents living around their campus would attack their boarding
houses. This followed a two-day fierce brawl between them in
which 60 students were rushed to hospital with injuries.

The students said they felt unsafe staying at the boarding
houses, which are located around the campus. They also criticized
the campus management's decision to close the campus for one week
following the bloody clash.

Chairman of Students Council Bernas Nababan told The Jakarta
Post on Tuesday that the students had no other place that was
secure from intimidation by local residents, who had been
searching for them in the vicinity of the campus since Sunday.

"We reported to the Medan Police about our being here and the
police chief agreed."

The brawl, which erupted on Friday night, was initiated by the
residents' anger at the students, whom they accused of having
extorted a street vendor.

Some students acknowledged that the brawl had been triggered
by some of their number. "Six students refused to pay completely
for the meal they had eaten at a roadside stall. The stall owner
became angry and hit one of the students, unconfirmed reports
said. That happened on Friday night," said a student who asked to
remain anonymous. "The stall owner was usually very tolerant of
the students when they were unable to pay completely for their
meal. But on Friday night he got very angry, although the
students owed him only Rp 3,000."

Meanwhile, police were still on alert on Tuesday at the
campus, whose buildings housing the Law, Technical and Literature
schools, which were partly damaged.

There was no reports on how the university had approached the
residents to make peace. (42/sur)