Croatian ship sets sail

Croatian ship MV Mirna Rijeka set sail on Thursday from Tanjung Perak harbor in Surabaya, putting an end to diplomatic tension over its detainment for allegedly transporting illegally logged timber out of the country.

It was decided the ship could leave the harbor after its owner agreed to pay Rp 10 billion (US$1 million) as a security deposit.

"We finally received a permit from the Attorney General's Office to allow the ship to set sail to carry out repair work. I'd like to thank those who helped in the process," Croatian Ambassador to Indonesia Aleksandar Broz -- who watched the ship depart the harbor with officials from the foreign ministry and the attorney general's office -- said on Thursday.

Indonesian Navy officers stormed the Croatia-flagged ship in August of this year while it was moored in Gresik waters, East Java, detaining some 17 crew. The incident sparked a strong protest from the Croatian government.

The Croatian ship has been involved in a lengthy legal battle with Indonesian officials since August 2004, when it was stopped in Papua by the navy after loading merbau logs and was found to have incorrect papers. The ship was then taken to East Java as the case was being tried at the Surabaya court.

Foreign ministry official Hazairan Pohan said the decision to let the ship go did not change its legal status. "The court proceedings will continue but the ship can set sail," he said, adding that the ship would return if required in the trial.

He said the deposit money was a precaution in case the court found the ship's owner guilty and he was ordered to pay a fine. (JP/ID Nugroho)