Sailors burn vessels from other regencies

Sailors burn vessels from other regencies

MATARAM, West Nusa Tenggara: Fishermen in many regencies in
Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara have been involved in the burning of
vessels belonging to fishermen from neighboring regencies due to
over zealous implementation of regional autonomy.

"Fishermen from one regency burned the vessels from other
regencies because they claimed they sailed in their territory,"
the secretary-general of the Ministry of Maritime and Fishery
Affairs Andin Paryoto said on Thursday.

He cited a case where a vessel belonging to a fisherman from
Indramayu, West Java province was set ablaze recently for
entering Banten province territory.

"Similar incidents have also occurred in Sulawesi and
Kalimantan," he added.

He blamed Law No. 22/1999 on regional autonomy for the
incidents.

The law stipulates, among other things, that a regency
possesses its own sea territory. -- Antara