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.
;JP;42; ANPAa..r.. 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)