Belgium urges RI to free dredgers

The Belgium government summoned the Indonesian ambassador Thursday to protest Jakarta's refusal to release three Belgian dredging vessels that have been cleared by an Indonesian court of illegally operating in Indonesian waters.

Deputy Foreign Minister Annemie Neyts told Ambassador Abdulmanan Suleiman that his government must "take immediate steps to execute the judgment of Indonesian courts and release the Belgian ships in question with immediate effect."

The three, along with 10 dredging vessels from other countries, were impounded on July 26 last year and charged with stealing sand from Indonesian territory for building projects in Malaysia and Singapore.

On Oct. 9, courts in Karimum and Bintang dismissed the charges, but levied minor fines for administrative infractions. "The Indonesian government did not appeal against the verdicts," the foreign ministry said in a statement. It added that the fines have already been paid but "the Indonesian navy ... refuses to release the vessels." --AP