JP/5/FOKUS
Thai nationals found dead in Maluku
AMBON, Maluku: Two Thai nationals have died at separate locations in Maluku recently.
Hamthong Ladbasri, 35, a fisherman, was discovered dead aboard a fishing vessel on its way to Danar Tual seaport in Southeast Maluku regency.
Adj. Sr. J. Timisela, chief of Southeast Maluku regental police, said that the death of Hamthong was suspicious as there were bruises on parts of his body. Police were investigating the case, said Timisela.
Meanwhile, Thondee Khettausy, 28, died at a hospital in West Southeast Maluku regency after being treated for several days. -- JP
;JP;ASA; ANPAa..r.. Bandarlampung-council-graft
JP/5/FOKUS
Councillors jailed for corruption
BANDARLAMPUNG, Lampung: Three Bandarlampung councillors have been sentenced to 18 months jail for corruption.
Gani Parlaungan, the presiding judge at Bandarlampung court, said that the three were guilty of embezzling funds from Bandarlampung's 2002 and 2003 budgets totaling Rp 3.7 billion (US$ 398,000). The councillors had stolen the money using various means, including insurance fraud.
The three councillors in question are Palgunadi from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Gusti Rachmat Kartolo from the Golkar Party and Muchzan Zein from the United Development Party (PPP). -- JP
;JP;ASA; ANPAa..r.. Riau-Pekanbaru-conservation
JP/5/FOKUS
Illegal logs seized in Riau
PEKANBARU, Riau: Forest rangers in Riau seized at truck at dawn on Tuesday that was loaded with 32 cubic meters of undocumented kulim wood.
Sahnan Nasution, chief of forest rangers at the Riau Natural Resources Conservation Body (BKSDA), said that the wood was being transported from Tesso Nilo National Park to Bagansiapi-api in Rokanhilir regency.
"Besides confiscating the wood, we are also detaining the truck driver, Zulis Martin," said Sahnan.
A few days ago, forest rangers also seized 484 tual logs being transported from a location within the province. Officials have named 15 suspects in relation to the matter, said Sahnan. -- JP ;JP;ASA; ANPAa..r.. TKI-Malaysia-job
JP/5/FOKUS
People applying for passports drops
JAMBI, Jambi: The number of people applying for passports at the Jambi Immigration Office has decreased from 20 people per day to an average 10 people after the March 1 crackdown on illegal workers in Malaysia, a senior official said on Tuesday.
Zardianto, a spokesman from Jambi Immigration Office, said that fewer people were applying for passports there since the government set up a one-stop service in Dumai, Riau province, for Indonesian migrant workers wishing to process Malaysian work permits and immigration documents.
Separately, Arpan, an official at the Manpower and Transmigration Office in Jambi province, explained that Jambi had obtained 500 job orders from Malaysia since Malaysia began cracking down on illegal workers on March 1. -- JP ;JP:ASA ANPAa..r.. Poso-refugee-priority
JP/5/POSO
Houses built for Poso refugees
POSO, Central Sulawesi: The Poso regental government will build 100 low-cost houses in several subdistricts of Poso City. The houses will be allocated to people currently living in several refugee camps in the regency, said acting Regent of Poso regency, Andi Azikin Suyuti, without elaborating further whether the houses would be for Christian or Muslim refugees. Earlier, the government had built some 70 houses for Muslim refugees in the Sintuwulemba subdistrict.
Thousands of people had fled their home after sectarian clashes broke out in Poso regency in 2000, which left some 2,000 people dead. -- JP