Fishermen nabbed for 'legal' plundering
Fishermen nabbed for 'legal' plundering
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Eight fisherman have been detained by
Kulonprogo Police for removing goods from a sinking tanker even
though they had received permission to do so from the ship's crew
members.
Local fishermen's association chief Ismanto told reporters
here on Friday that the fishermen could not understand the
police's action in arresting and questioning them over the goods
they removed from the sinking Bumi Sarana off Congot beach, some
40 kilometers southwest of Yogyakarta on Monday.
"The crew members of the ship told the fishermen to take
anything they could from the tanker as they (the crew) realized
that no one could stop the tanker, which contained 15 tons of
liquid asphalt, from going down. Some of the fishermen than
sailed out to the ship and started removing various items,
including television sets, refrigerators, electric fans, etc.,"
said Ismanto.
Ismanto accompanied the fishermen's relatives to seek legal
aid at the Yogyakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH).
Lawyer Budi Hartono from the LBH condemned the arrests, saying
that the fishermen had not committed any crimes. He also said
that one of the tanker's crew members, Suratman, had sent a
letter confirming the fishermen's innocence.
"The Kulonprogo Police must release them as soon as possible.
Otherwise, we will sue them for ignoring legal procedures in
conducting the arrests," he said, adding that the police failed
to show any warrants when arresting the fishermen.
Meanwhile, the Yogyakarta chapter of Walhi (Indonesian
Environmental Forum) insisted that the owner of the tanker take
responsibility for the marine pollution caused by the spillage of
asphalt from the tanker, which belonged to a company controlled
by Yusuf Kalla, a former minister of trade and industry.
"The tanker has seriously polluted the beach with the liquid
asphalt," Walhi's Executive Director Teguh Purnomo said, adding
that the pollution was affecting an area with a radius of around
30 kilometers.
He also said that the pollution had caused a drastic drop in
local fishermen's incomes. (44)