Foreign fishing vessels nabbed

Foreign fishing vessels nabbed
JP/5/Across

Foreign fishing vessels nabbed

SUNGAI LIAT, Bangka Belitung: The Navy has captured two foreign
vessels carrying crew members from Thailand that was fishing
illegally in the waters of Bangka Belitung, said a local Navy
officer.

The two foreign vessels, KM Sembilang and KM Bahtera Santosa,
entered the waters of Bangka Belitung flying the Indonesian flag,
said the provincial Naval base commander Lt. Col. Deddy MP on
Wednesday. "All crew members of the two illegal vessels are
Thailand nationals," he said.

KM Sembilang had a crew of 15 and KM Bahtera Santosa, a crew
of 16. They were caught on Tuesday, Deddy said.

He suggested that the two fishing vessels be auctioned off to
local fishermen, as they had suffered the most from the illegal
fishermen.

The Navy has recently taken tougher measures against illegal
foreign fishing vessels, occasionally sinking them if they
refused to be boarded.

The government reported the country loses more than US$5
billion annually in potential fishing revenue to foreign
poachers. -- Antara

Jambi pushes for reforestation program

JAMBI, Jambi: Following Jambi's worst flooding in 17 years, the
local administration said it would propose to Jakarta to
prioritize the national reforestation program in the province.

"I will propose to the central government that the Kerinci
National Park on the westernmost side of Jambi province be made a
priority in the national reforestation program," said Jambi
Governor Zulkifli Nurdin on Friday.

The 1.2 million hectare national park is Sumatra's largest
water catchment area, capable of irrigating thousands of hectares
of farmland in the four provinces surrounding it.

Located along the Bukit Barisan mountains, Kerinci park,
however, is losing its forests to illegal loggers.

The rapid rate of deforestation has contributed to the recent
flooding in Jambi from mid-April to early May, during which
thousands of homes were inundated and vast areas of farmland
destroyed.

Water overflowed the banks of Jambi's main rivers as they
could no longer contain the surge of runoff water from the
national park and its shrinking forest areas. -- Antara

Bandung students walk to Jakarta

BANDUNG, West Java: Around 2,000 students from the West Java
capital of Bandung are walking to Jakarta in a 180-kilometer long
march to protest against Megawati Soekarnoputri's government.

Student Executive Bodies from major universities in Bandung
began the long march on Thursday. They hope to reach Jakarta by
Wednesday, May 21.

But on Friday, the students were held up in the town of
Cianjur some 60 kilometers west of Bandung, as police refused to
let them pass through the congested route through Puncak. The
four-day long weekend starting Thursday had worsened traffic at
Puncak, along the main route between Bandung and Jakarta.

Andreas Marbun from the Student Executive Body of the
University of Parahyangan, said the protesters planned to
continue their march on Saturday.

He said that for now, they were trying to get more people join
the protest by holding speeches at Cianjur University of
Suryakencana.

Antigovernment protests continue in many parts of the country
since President Megawati tried to raise fuel prices and utility
rates simultaneously in January. -- Antara

Atambua provides land for refugees

ATAMBUA, East Nusa Tenggara: The Atambua prosecutors' office said
on Friday it would allow former East Timorese refugees to settle
for two years on land that it had seized from a deceased convict.

The offer came from the head of the Atambua prosecutors'
office, Monang Pardede, said first assistant Charles Bissinglasi
of the Belu regency administration on Thursday.

Charles said that at 52 hectares, the land was big enough to
accommodate the almost 9,000 former East Timorese refugees in
Belu regency.

The plot of land initially belonged to Yoseph Asit Manek, who
was convicted in a graft case by the local court.

Prosecutors seized the land after he was unable to repay the
fine the court had set. Yoseph died last year.

Although no longer refugees, many East Timorese still live in
refugee camps in the protected forest of Tirta and at Haliwen
stadium in Atambua. -- Antara