Fishermen held in Sri Lanka

PURWOKERTO, Central Java: At least 19 fishermen from Pati and Pekalongan have been detained by security authorities in Sri Lanka on charges of poaching in their territory.

The Pekalongan port administrator, Abdulrochim, said yesterday that the fishermen left early this month on the Mandala Duyung boat for the Indian Ocean.

He has yet to find out from the Sri Lankan authorities if the boat had been adrift or was intentionally infringing on their territory.

Chief of the Diponegoro Regional Military Command Maj. Gen. Yusuf Kartanegara said that it would take diplomatic efforts to free the fishermen.

"Fishermen are generally unaware of territorial borders and they just do not know what it means to enter other countries' territorial waters without permission," he said. (wah)