Sat, 23 Nov 2002

TANGERANG: Two professional boxers who beat a pedicab driver were forced to flee for their lives after 200 less-than-happy friends of the victim invaded a boxing training camp in Tangerang on Thursday.

Samin, a becak (three-wheeled pedicab driver), said his pedicab collided with a motorcycle driven by the boxers near the Tangerang Benteng Sport stadium on Jl. TMP Taruna at 11 p.m. on Wednesday.

"The boxers asked for money from me as compensation for the damage to their motorcycle. As a pedicab driver, I certainly have no money to pay for the compensation," he said.

The two boxers became angry and beat him up. They fled after several other pedicab drivers intervened.

About two hours later, 200 angry pedicab drivers stormed the stadium, forcing all the boxers to flee. There were no reported injuries. --JP

;JP;ANTARA; ANPAj..r.. Greater-bazaar Three embassies organize charity bazaar JP/8/GREATER

JAKARTA: The embassies of Algeria, Russia and Turkey are organizing a joint charity bazaar at the residence of the Russian Ambassador on Jl. Karet Pedurenan, Kuningan, South Jakarta, on Nov. 28.

The bazaar will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is open to the public without a cover charge, Antara reported.

Handicrafts, porcelain, jewelry and other products from the three countries will be on sale during the charity event.--JP

;JP;MULTA FIDRUS; ANPAj..r.. Greater-drilling Drilling permit hampered by lack of bylaw JP/8/GREATER

TANGERANG: Illegal underground drilling is rampant in the absence of effective bylaws in the Tangerang muncipality.

Chief of the municipal environmental agency, M. Akip, admitted Thursday that hundred of industrial firms had illegally drilled deep wells.

He said that though the agency could issue permits for underground drilling, there were no bylaws that stipulated the drilling permit application process.

The situation has confused contractors, who wish to abide by the law.

"I want to abide by the law and that's why I applied for the permit before taking contracts or ground water drilling projects," drilling contractor Bambang Sumitro said.

He said the permits were issued by the Directorate of Environmental Management Geology (GTL) in Bandung before regional autonomy took effect in January 2000.

Unlike the municipality, the Tangerang regency has no problems related to the issuance of ground water drilling permits.

Pahala Sirait, chief of ground water at the regional environmental agency said the regency administration had issued bylaw No. 6/2002 on ground water use.

"The bylaw was approved by the regency council in July and now we are ready to serve contractors who want to apply for ground water drilling permits," he said. --JP