Selling Indonesian islands a 'serious violation'

Erwida Maulia, The Jakarta Post 27 Aug 09;

State Secretary Hatta Radjasa said Thursday that Indonesia could not possibly sell any of its more than 17,000 islands because it would be a "serious violation" of the law.

Hatta told reporters at the Presidential Palace that investors might buy or develop resorts on those islands, but they could not possibly own any of them.

"There is no way that [any of our] islands can be sold; perhaps the people who rent them don't know that.

"But it is evidently a serious violation [of the law]. No [Indonesian] island can be put up for sale," he said.

Hatta was responding to the offering for sale of three Indonesian islands in the Mentawai archipelago, West Sumatra, at www.privateislandsonline.com.