Mixed marriages decrease

PONTIANAK, West Kalimantan: Marriages between Taiwanese and local women of Chinese descent have dropped after the Indonesian government passed a stricter law on mixed marriages.

Between January and June this year, the local government recorded 90 mixed marriages. In 1992/1993, the figure was 324 and in 1993/1994 it was 1,510, Antara reported.

Head of the local religious affairs ministry Antonius Salim said Monday that many Taiwanese wanting to take local women as their wives failed to produce documents that prove they are single.

Many Taiwanese have complained that the new regulation is too stringent, Salim said.(31)