Laot Institution Asks Government to Make Agreement between Indonesia and India
Monday, 06 October, 2008 | 16:37 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Banda Aceh: The Achenese Laot customs institution has asked the Aceh government to initiate a bilateral agreement between Indonesia and India to protect small fishermen that often get lost near Andaman and Nicobar islands that are right in the border with Aceh.

“If the agreement is approved, those fishermen will no longer be imposed with sanctions,” said Laot secretary general M Adli Abdullah, on Monday (6/10).

Adli mentioned in during the last 10 years, many Acehnese fishermen have been lost in India, Myanmar and Thailand.

The Indonesian Ambassador for New Delhi Andi Ghalib supports this idea.

In a recent letter from him to the Laot chairman, he said he was ready to facilitate the bilateral agreement.

However, he suggested that the Acehnese government be more proactive in delivering this idea to the central government.

Adi Warsidi