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Questions raised over maritime ministry ending probe on Tangerang sea barrier
Activists and legal experts urge authorities to thoroughly investigate the installation of a 30-kilometer bamboo fence in the waters off Tangerang regency, Banten, to find the masterminds ordering its construction.
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Deconstructing a mystery: Fishermen from Tanjung Pasir dismantle a makeshift bamboo barrier on Jan. 18 in the coastal waters off Tangerang, Banten. (Antara/Rivan Awal Lingga)
T
he Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry’s decision to end its probe into the installation of a 30-kilometer bamboo fence in coastal waters off Tangerang regency, Banten, has raised questions on the authorities’ commitment to thoroughly investigate the origins of the structure.
The decision was first announced by Maritime Affairs Minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono during a meeting with House of Representatives Commission IV overseeing maritime affairs on Feb. 27.
In the investigation, the ministry found two officials of Kohod village in Tangerang, including village head Arsin, as people responsible for installing the sea barrier. Sakti added that his office slapped administrative sanctions on the two officials and ordered them to pay a Rp 48 billion (US$2.95 million) fine.
The minister also announced that the maritime affairs ministry had closed its investigation into the matter with the village officials as the only individuals responsible for the installation of the sea barrier.
The decision was slammed by Susan Herawati, the secretary-general of the People's Coalition for Fisheries Justice Indonesia (KIARA), who said that the ministry should continue investigating the matter to find the main actors who benefited the most from the barrier’s construction.
“The ministry has yet to identify the key figures behind the barrier. It’s impossible for village officials to fund and build such a massive structure that costs billions,” Susan told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.
Similarly, criminal law expert Abdul Fickar Hadjar from Trisakti University in Jakarta called the ministry’s decision “absurd”.
