Indonesian navy frees divers

SINGAPORE: -- The Indonesian navy today freed 21 Singaporeans and several foreign divers detained since Saturday after their boat was intercepted during a diving trip, the foreign ministry said.

"The Indonesian authorities have released all the divers, including 21 Singaporeans and several other nationals," the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

It said the divers left the Indonesian city of Tanjung Pinang for Singapore this evening.

"We thank the Indonesian Navy, Immigration and all other authorities for their assistance," the statement said.

An Indonesian admiral told AFP in Jakarta earlier Wednesday the foreign divers included 21 Singaporeans, two Americans, two New Zealanders, a German, two French nationals and two Malaysians.

"They were diving without permission," said First Admiral Malik Yusuf, who heads the Indonesian navy base in Tanjung Pinang in the Riau islands near Singapore.

They were detained at gunpoint on Saturday in the Anambas island group east of Malaysia, he said.

"They were arrested by a warship," he said. Asked if the arresting sailors were armed he said, "That is definite."

The foreigners were detained on their tourist boat at the naval base in Tanjung Pinang on Bintan, an Indonesian island near Singapore

1st Admir. Yusuf said the boat, MV White Manta, flew a Thai flag but was operating out of Singapore.

In September, officials in East Timor said an Indonesian warship attempted to chase away foreign divers it apparently believed had strayed into Indonesian waters near the East Timor island of Atauro.

Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago with more than 17,000 islands.

It has started paying attention along its borders after losing two islands to Malaysia in a December, 2002 decision by the International Court of Justice.

--Herald Sun, AU, 2004-10-14

Was reading this morning about Tiger Woods and his new bride's boat being stopped and boarded by the U.S. Coast Guard near Puerto Rico for violating a new rule requiring the boat to seek permission 4 days before landing in port.