The number of Malaysian tourists visiting Yogyakarta has risen significantly since flag carrier Malaysian Airlines introduced a direct flight in February, a tourism official said.

"Previously, Malaysian tourists had to fly through Jakarta or Bali, which takes more time and is more expensive," Yogyakarta Tourism Board chief Tazbir said Wednesday.

"The introduction of the direct flight means Malaysia has toppled Japan as the top origin of tourists."

Malaysia Airlines flies direct between Kuala Lumpur and Yogyakarta three times a week (Tuesday, Friday and Sunday)

In January, another Malaysian airline, Air Asia, started serving the Yogyakarta-Kuala Lumpur route with four flights a week. Air Asia introduced daily flights on the route in March.

Tazbir said that in 2007, before the direct route was opened, 5,424 Malaysian tourists arrived in Yogyakarta by airplane, compared with 9,287 arrivals by October this year — almost double the number.

He said that in total about 12,000 Malaysians had visited Yogyakarta so far this year, including those who did not stay overnight.

The increase in tourists visiting Yogyakarta is good news for hoteliers in the city.

The Melia Purosani Hotel, for example, has experienced an increase in the number of Malaysian tourists staying at the hotel, with Malaysians being the biggest group of foreign tourists staying at the hotel.

"About 3,000 Malaysians stayed in the hotel in 2007 while about 5,000 Malaysians stayed here by October this year," the hotel's public relations manager Dyah Retno Wikan said.

"By October, 3,500 Japanese tourists had stayed at the hotel. The next (biggest group) were European guests including those from Russia."

The tourism board is trying to open new markets by attracting tourists from Asia and Eastern Europe to offset the impact of the current global financial crisis.

"The markets in Asia and Eastern Europe are still available as the crisis has not affected Eastern Europe much," Tazbir said.

"There is an increasing trend in visits from Eastern European tourists. They have just started travel and leisure activities thanks to the improving economy in their countries."

Authorities in Karimun regency, Riau Islands, have revoked the operation permits of seven sand export companies, saying mining activities severely harmed the area's environment and fishing conditions.

Karimun Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Djoko Rudi told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday the police had asked Karimun Regent Nurdin Basirun to make a decision in compliance with the 2002 government ban on sand mining across the Riau archipelago.

The government has banned sea sand excavation after finding it severely damaged the marine ecosystem and led to sand smuggling overseas, especially to Singapore, where its price is higher.

"We have sealed off the seven companies operating in Karimun and asked the regent to cancel their permits," said Djoko.

According to Djoko, Nurdin issued licenses to the seven companies several months ago. However, it was unclear the volume of sand they mined.

"The issuance of the licenses was intended for local sand demand. We have told them it was illegal. Only mining land sand is permissible," said Djoko.

Police, added Djoko, had also referred to the trade ministerial decree on the banning of sand, soil and top soil export issued Jan. 22 and put into effect Feb. 6, 2007.

According to the ordinance, sea and land sand are banned for export; however, the potential of sea sand export overseas is greater than land sand.

Djoko said police had mobilized the Riau Islands water police unit, based on Kundur Island, to conduct surveillance to prevent sand smuggling, especially to Singapore.

"The Indonesian Military (TNI) is also equipped with patrol boats to counter sand smuggling," said Djoko.

According to data from the Riau Sand Exporters Association (Hipepari), sand shipments from Riau Islands to Singapore reach 300,000 tons annually, compared to 100,000 tons for the domestic market.

Singapore has grown from its size in 2000 thanks to the rush of sand imported from the islands partly through the black market. The illegal sand business in the province has reportedly involved politicians from Jakarta and military officials.

Elsewhere, a group farmers in Kulonprogo, Yogyakarta, opposed a planned land reclamation project involving the prestigious Gadjah Mada University (UGM) and a private company, saying it would affect their farmland.

More than 1,000 coastal farmers on Monday demanded (UGM) rector Sudjarwadi sign an agreement not to be involved in any form of cooperation with sand mining activities.

The farmers, from 11 villages along the coast of Kulonprogo, arrived at UGM at around 9:30 a.m. by truck, car and motorcycle after learning that UGM's forestry school would be involved in scientific studies by working with an investor, PT Jogja Magasa Mining, and the Kulonprogo regency administration in a reclamation project valued at Rp 1.2 billion (approximately US$133,300).

UGM is slated to conduct research on the coastal area after the reclamation project has been completed.

"We will reject the plan at all cost and oppose anyone involved to our last drop of blood. Even if we have to wage a war, I'm ready to die," said protest coordinator Tukijo.

Tukijo said sand mining would have an adverse impact on the environment, especially on the local community, because more than 6,000 families depend on farming on the disputed 100-hectare plot of sandy soil.

"More than 30,000 lives eke a living from growing vegetables and side crops on the coastal farmland. What would we eat if the sand was mined?" Tukijo said.

The sand mining project, which commenced in 2005, would be carried out on a coastal area stretching 25 kilometers long, 1.8 km wide and 14.5 meters deep.

"Thousands of homes would be evicted. Where would we stay? Even if they relocated us, what would we do for a living?

"We had to crawl into the cave holding a container and torch," recalled Ploso villager Jainem, 47.

The path leading into the cave is treacherous, and it took people two hours to get a 20-liter container of water.

They haven't had to crawl into the cave since 1999, thanks to solar pump technology which is used to pump water from the cave and channel it to four reservoirs around the village.

The solar-powered technology was set up by the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) in cooperation with the Gunungkidul regency administration. This was a pilot project aimed at mitigating the chronic water shortage affecting Gunungkidul residents every dry season.

The installation comprises a solar panel, a battery and inverter and a pump which draws water from a stream 20 meters down in the Cerme Cave, channeling it to storage reservoirs.

Every morning at 9 a.m., residents can draw water at the reservoirs at a cost of Rp 50 (half a U.S. cent) for a 25-liter container. The fees go toward maintenance costs, used to replace broken pipes, while Rp 100,000 is kept back for the monthly salary of Ponijo, who maintains the equipment.

"It's a lot easier now compared to before, when we had to crawl into the cave," said another villager, Suyitno.

To maintain the equipment, Ponijo, 87, cleans the solar panel array from dew and leaves. When the suns rays are sufficient at around 8 a.m., he turns on the pump to draw water from the stream running inside the cave.

From then on, the first reservoir, located around 700 meters from the cave, soon fills up and people flock to the facility by 9 a.m.

From there, water flows to the other three reservoirs located in two nearby hamlets. At noon, the water flow is temporarily stopped.

After lunch, at around 2:30 p.m., Ponijo inspects the pipe network and he restores the water flow at 3 p.m.

The installation supplies water to more than 400 families, each family comprising on average of five people, a total of more than 2,000 people.

The area suffers chronic drought. There is a water supply crisis every dry season which affects more than 130,000 people in the regency, spread across 600 hamlets and 11 districts. Compared to most of these residents, the 2,000 people in the hamlets of Ploso and Gading are better off because of the solar pump.

Political moves against the government's fuel price increase are gaining further support, with the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) joining the opposition bloc at the House of Representatives aiming to officially question the policy.

PKS leader Tifatul Sembiring said on Saturday the Muslim-based party had suggested that the government exhaust alternative measures, advice that was apparently unheeded.

"Our advice for a solution, among others, is implementing a cross subsidy to cover the state deficit resulting from the crude oil price hike. As we know, exports of coal, nickel, gas, gold and silver are not affected by the oil price increase," Tifatul said on the sideline of a campaign for the party's candidates for the mayoral election in Palembang.

Other factions planning to question the government's fuel policy are the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) and the National Awakening Party (PKB).

Only 12 signatures of support are required to file a petition to summon the president, according to the House's standing order. However, the three factions, minus some PKB lawmakers who are likely to be pro-government following an internal rift, are short of more than 50 votes to make the House endorse the president's summons.

If the House plenary approves the political move, the president or his representatives must appear before a plenary session to explain the policy in question and face the music from lawmakers. If the explanation is deemed unsatisfactory, lawmakers can initiate an inquiry into alleged violations committed by the government in creating the policy.

The government raised the fuel prices by an average 28.7 percent on May 24, and is distributing Rp 100,000 per poor family per month until December to mitigate the impacts of the policy.

Secretary of PKS faction at the House, Mustafa Kamal, said representatives of the party, PDI-P, PKB, the Prosperous Peace Party (PDS) and National Mandate Party (PAN) had been discussing a plan to summon the president.

Protests against the fuel price increase continued on Sunday across the country.

In Jakarta hundreds of supporters of the People's Struggle Front (FPR) and Hitzbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) rallied outside the Merdeka Palace in Central Jakarta to demand that the government revoke the fuel price hike.

The two groups staged the rally in separate sections in front of the palace.

Children were seen among the rally held by the Muslim-based HTI, which outnumbered the FPR supporters.

In Yogyakarta, hundreds of students, farmers, street singers and pro-poor activists gathered outside the city's postal office after a march, demanding that the government cancel the fuel price hike and the direct cash assistance for the poor.

The rally coincided with a dangdut music festival, which took place in front of the Gedung Agung Presidential Palace nearby. Some protesters believed the music performance was aimed at appeasing the demonstrators.