Cianjur fishermen need auction center

CIANJUR, West Java: Thousands of fishermen here called on the local administration to develop a standard fish auction center to help improve their incomes.

Achmad Yayu, an informal leader in Cidaun, South Cianjur, said a major part of the problem was that fishermen had difficulties storing fish because the regency had no standard auction center.

"There are many sale centers along the regency's southern coastal areas but they have no space to store the fish. The absence of fish freezers has forced them to sell their fish to local traders for cheaper prices or supply their fish to the auction center in Pelabuhan Ratu in Sukabumi regency," he said.

He said it would be better if the government developed a seaport near the proposed auction center because it would benefit all sides, including fish traders and the local administration. --Antara

Kendari teachers ask for back pay

KENDARI, Southeast Sulawesi: A local official has admitted that back pay for 400 teachers has been embezzled by a local official.

The teachers in Poasia subdistrict, Kendari, have threatened to go on strike unless the local administration pays arrears in their monthly salaries.

Kaharudddin Hamiaso, chief of the local education office, admitted that Djuslan, the treasurer of the local education office, had embezzled Rp 54 million allocated as back pay.

"The treasurer must return the embezzled funds because it belongs to the teachers," Djuslan said on Friday.

Elementary school teacher Nuriani said: "We have agreed to stop teaching and hold a strike next week if the government does not provide the back pay for all teachers employed in state-run elementary schools in the subdistrict."

Nuriani said around 400 elementary school teachers in the subdistrict had yet to receive the salary increase since the government raised it last April.

"So far, the local education office has yet to give a signal that it will give the teachers back pay."

Kaharuddin called on the teachers to be patient and not stay out of their work place because such action would effect education programs in the subdistrict. Antara

SURABAYA: Muslim clerics in Madura called on the provincial administration to send all refugees sheltering on Madura back to their home towns in West Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan.

Tijani Djauhari, an executive of the Muslim Clerics Association (BASSRA) in Madura, said the longer the refugees stayed in Madura the more social problems would result.

"We call on the governor to pay serious attention to how to return thousands of refugees to their home towns in West and Central Kalimantan because their presence has had negative impacts in areas where they are now staying," he said here on Friday.

Meanwhile, Governor Imam Utomo said it was ready to return the refugees but authorities in Kalimantan would not receive them because of the situation in the two provinces.

"We have no plans to return the refugees to their home towns because authorities in the two provinces and the indigenous people are not ready to receive them," he said. --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