JABAT - I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE LAST PARAGRAPH OF THE FIRST STORY MEANS - TIM

Police foil fuel hoarding in regencies

JAKARTA: Police in Indragiri Hulu, Riau, have arrested SN, 48, and confiscated more than 4,200 liters of solar fuel that was allegedly being hoarded in a bunker near his house in Rengat.

Adj. Sr. Comr. S. Pandiangan, spokesman for the Riau Provincial Police, said in Pekanbaru on Thursday the arrest had been made after the police launched an anti-hoarding operation in the regency.

"The police have received several reports from locals on the alleged hoarding of basic commodities, related to the government's plan to raise fuel prices this month," he said.

Pandiangan said the suspect had admitted to buying the solar from Padang, West Sumatra and planned to sell it to industries in the regency at a price of Rp 2,339 per liter.

The normal price of solar in the regency is Rp 1,300 per liter.

In Majalengka, West Java, police confiscated 90 tons of kerosene allegedly being hoarded in several bunkers in the regency on Wednesday.

Dodo, 50, a local kerosene distributor, was still being investigated by police.

Local police also arrested Janer Manalu, who was found guilty of hoarding six tons of kerosene in his bunker in Susukan, Cirebon on Wednesday.

Cirebon City Police Chief Sr. Comr. Sardjono said the police would continue to crack down on fuel hoarding by kerosene distributors to halt the kerosene crisis that has plagued the two regencies over the last two weeks.

State-owned oil company Pertamina has pledged 50 percent of hoarded fuel they seized as incentives to help cope with the kerosene crisis. --Antara

Batam urged to tax foreign tourists

BATAM, Riau: The Batam immigration office called on the mayoralty administration to impose a tax on foreign tourists leaving the island to maximize its income from the tourism sector.

"Batam should implement a policy similar to that imposed by the Singapore authorities on foreign tourists and visitors leaving the island country. In Singapore, foreign tourists and shoppers who want to leave that country are charged S$2 (Rp 11,000)," Mardjono, chief of the local immigration office, said here on Thursday.

He said that by introducing such a policy the Batam administration's income from the tourist sector would rise.

"Batam will be able to develop tourist resorts if it imposes a tax on foreign tourists leaving the island," he said. --Antara

Two killed in landslide in Klaten

SEMARANG: Two women were killed in a landslide at a sand quarry in Bumirejo Village, Kemalang, Klaten, Central Java on Wednesday.

The two, who were identified as Mrs. Darini, 28, and Mrs. Suyati, 31, were found dead after a steeply sloping riverbank where they were quarrying sand slid down and buried them.

Three male miners managed to escape the landslide.

Last week, Mrs Parjian, 50, was also killed in a similar incident in the village.

A total of ten people have been killed in landslides at the quarry since last November but their deaths have not yet prompted local authorities to implement measures aimed at preventing such incidents in the future. --Antara

Grenade found near regent residence

YOGYAKARTA: The local police in Gunungkidul are still investigating the discovery of a grenade in a trash dump near the Gunungkidul regent's official residence in Wonosari on Tuesday.

Second Insp. Beja W.T.P., chief of the Gunungkidul Police Precinct's detective unit, said the police were still questioning several witnesses, including a scavenger who found the grenade.

"We cannot discuss any motives relating to the discovery while the police investigation is still under way," he said here on Thursday.

He said the grenade, which was still active when it was found, had been sent to the Yogyakarta Police Headquarters for further investigation. --Antara

Thai fishermen active in Sumatran waters

MEDAN, North Sumatra: The local office of the Indonesian Fishermen's Community called on local security authorities to take stern measures against Thai fishermen who have been fishing illegally in waters off Aceh, Nias and Central Tapanuli.

Mansyur, an executive of the local office of the Indonesian Fishermen's Community, said that besides lacking the necessary documentation, the Thai fishermen had also been using trawling nets.

"Many Thai fishing vessels are equipped with explosives and firearms to scare off local fishermen," he said.

He said the presence of Thai fishermen had caused unrest among local fishermen and affected their income.

Meanwhile, the Aceh military arrested 18 Thai fishermen last week for fishing illegally in Acehnese waters. Besides trawls, a number of firearms, ammunition and a set of radios were also confiscated from the fishermen. --Antara

Arso transmigrants face food crisis

JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya: Hundreds of transmigrants in Arso in the Jayapura regency are facing a food crisis because of the inundation of their farmland following the onset of the rainy season.

Armin, chief of the local resettlement and infrastructure office, said his office had distributed rice supplies to resettlement areas affected by the flooding that hit the regency recently but added it was not enough to meet the increasing demands of the commodity.

He called on the central government to work closely with the provincial administration to resolve the food crisis before the situation became worse.

Thus far, the resettlement program in the regency has been under the supervision of the central government and the project is scheduled to be handed over to the provincial administration by the end of this year. --Antara