7 detained vessels broke sand ban: Jakarta

The Straits Times, April 10, 2007
By Tan Hui Yee


SEVEN of the 22 Singapore-bound tugboats and barges detained by Indonesia in February and last month violated the country's sand export ban, the Indonesian authorities allege.

The other vessels were detained for allegedly violating other shipping and customs regulations.

Foreign Minister George Yeo told Parliament yesterday that Jakarta had sent a diplomatic note about this to his ministry last Thursday after Singapore sought clarification on the detained vessels.

The detention disrupted Singapore's supply of granite, a basic construction material, just weeks after Indonesia banned the export of land sand, another basic material.

The seven vessels identified by the Indonesians were alleged to have been carrying land sand or a mix of land sand and granite chips. The cases will now be taken up through the Indonesian legal system.

Mr Yeo told the House that he was informed by Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda at a March 15 meeting that Jakarta officials had visited the Riau islands to investigate the detention, and that the process would be transparent.

'It is good that the matter is now transparent,' said Mr Yeo. 'I'm sure they will get their own lawyers, charges will be pressed, they will defend themselves and the matter should be properly resolved in this way according to the laws of Indonesia.'

The Singapore Government said if Singaporeans whose businesses have been hit asked for help, it would do its best to give it.

Three barge owners are Singaporean; the granite quarry in Karimun recently rocked by blasts is Singaporean-owned. The matter is with the Indonesian police.

Responding to MP Lily Neo (Jalan Besar GRC), who quoted a recent magazine as having described Singapore as 'defenceless against having sand kicked in its face', Mr Yeo said Singapore could give as good as it got:

'Maybe we are small, but we are not without capabilities and our gongfu is not bad. If sand is kicked in our face, the person may end up with a mouthful of sand in his own mouth.'

MP Low Thia Khiang (Hougang) asked whether the affair was a diplomatic failure on Singapore's or Asean's part, to which Mr Yeo said that was for others to judge.

He said Indonesia was within its rights to ban sand exports for environmental reasons, but that both countries remained mutually dependent in many ways.

For instance, Singapore was helping Indonesia develop the special economic zone in Batam, Bintan and Karimun; it was also helping Jakarta tackle bird flu and the haze.

The two sides are also discussing an extradition treaty and defence cooperation.

Mr Yeo said: 'There are specific problems here and there and it's best that we manage them as discrete problems rather than link everything together.'




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SMALL BUT CAPABLE

'Maybe we are small, but we are not without capabilities and our gongfu is not bad. If sand is kicked in our face, the person may end up with a mouthful of sand in his own mouth.' ....MR GEORGE YEO, responding to MP Lily Neo, who had quoted a magazine which described Singapore as 'defenceless against having sand kicked in its face'.