Schools needs more than Rp 300 billion

AMBON, Maluku: Maluku needs over Rp 300 billion (about US$33 million) to rebuild its devastated schools following three years of sectarian clashes, a local official said on Monday.

Head of the provincial education office Renny Soulissa said the provincial budget was too small to fund the reconstruction.

She said that Rp 300 billion was needed just to reconstruct the schools. Schools, however, also required new books and other necessary equipment and facilities, Renny added.

"We need a huge amount of money and we are asking the central government to pay attention to this so that our human resources in Maluku will not deteriorate further, " she said.

Clashes between Christians and Muslims have ruined much of the province's infrastructure. Thousands have died in the fighting that began in early 1999.

But since the signing of the Malino peace agreement last year, violence has abated, and life on Maluku is gradually returning to normal. -- Antara

;JP;bkm; ANPAa..r.. Across-Papua-Navy-base Navy to build new base in Papua JP/5/Across

Navy to build new base in Papua

SORONG, West Papua: The Indonesian Navy plans to build a new base in the regency of Fakfak mainly, to cope with illegal fishing, a senior Navy officer said on Monday.

Sorong naval base chief Maj. Kris Sri Hod said the new base would be built on a 1.2 hectare plot of land near Wagom beach, which he described as strategically located.

Because of the size of the province's surrounding sea and its frequent security problems, the Navy decided to build a new base, he said.

He said that local fishermen were reluctant to sail out for fear of confronting the larger but illegal trawlers that were roaming the sea.

Illegal loggers also smuggle their timber by sea, and had been benefiting from the lack of sea patrols, he added. -- Antara

;JP;bkm; ANPAa..r.. Across-Makasar-robbers Police arrest five robbers JP/5/Across

Police arrest five robbers

MAKASSAR, South Sulawesi: Police in Bone regency arrested five of seven robbers who stole Rp 50 million (about US$5,600) from a Bank Mandiri customer in Kendari Southeast Sulawesi, a police officer said on Monday.

The Saturday arrest followed a tip off from the Kendari police about the escape of six of the robbers, said Bone chief detective First Insp. Zainuddin Abbas.

The seventh robber was already caught in Kendari where he told the police about the escape plans of the other six. It was not clear when the robbery took place.

Police in Bone arrested the five at the Bajoe port where they arrived on a ferry from the Southeast Sulawesi town of Kolaka.

The sixth member got away, Zainuddin said. He suspected the escaped robber was hiding in his home town in the Gowa regency in South Sulawesi.

He said two of the five captured members were women from Kendari. Their three accomplices were residents of Makassar. -- Antara