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)