It's easy to go home to Sumatra via the Trans Sumatra Toll Road

The condition of the road is prime and good for travelers to pass

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The existence of the Trans Sumatra Toll Road has made it easier for travelers to travel to a number of regions in Sumatra. From Bakauheni Port, South Lampung, travelers who bring four-wheeled vehicles can go directly to the Bakauheni - Palembang Toll Road.

The 371.5 kilometer toll road is divided into three sections, namely Bakauheni-Terbanggi Besar, Terbanggi Besar-Pematang Pangang-Kayu Agung, and Kayu Agung - Palembang. The existence of the toll road which was inaugurated by President Joko Widodo in 2019 saves travel time. The route for the Highway Crossing the East Coast of Sumatra includes Way Jepara, then Sukadana, continuing to Menggala, then Mesuji. Then pass through Kayu Agung and Indralaya, South Sumatra.

"Before the existence of the toll road, from Bakauheni Port to Palembang you usually had to go through Sumatra Cross," said a traveler bound for Jambi, Muhammad Rusdi.

Even though they have to spend hundreds of thousands of rupiah to pay the toll road, according to him, it's not a problem considering the shorter travel time and also the fuel costs that are issued are much more economical than using the Trans-Sumatra road.

Travel time from Lampung to Palembang via the Trans-Sumatra toll road reaches 12 hours. However, with the existence of the Sumatran toll road, the journey time from Bakauheni Port to Palembang can be reached in just 5 hours.

ANTARA journalists, who followed the homecoming route in Sumatra, felt that the condition of the Bakauheni Trans Sumatra toll road to Palembang was quite good, although bumpy roads were still found on a number of sections. The management is also seen still patching a number of potholes on the roads.

In addition, a number of officers' cars from the toll road management, namely Hutama Karya patrol the toll roads, helping travelers who experience problems with their vehicles.

Along the Bakauheni - Palembang Toll Road there are also rest areas starting from kilometer 20 in the Lampung region to kilometer 311 which is already in the Kayu Agung area, South Sumatra. One rest stop after another can be found every 50 kilometers.

At the resort, travelers can rest for a while before continuing their journey. The facilities provided at the resort are relatively complete, starting from places of worship, food courts, ATMs, to minimarkets . There are also a number of homecoming posts provided by the government, state-owned companies to private companies.

A traveler bound for Bukittinggi, West Sumatra, Alfian, said he was quite satisfied with the condition of the Trans Sumatra toll road during the 2023 Eid homecoming season.

"The condition of the toll road is now quite good compared to before the Eid homecoming season. Indeed, there are still bumpy roads, but the potholes are much less," said Alfian.

Alfian and five of his family members departed from Bandung on Monday (17/4/2023) evening and are expected to arrive in Bukittinggi on Wednesday (19/4/2023) afternoon. The existence of the Trans Sumatra Highway shortens the time to go to his hometown.

"We passed the Trans Sumatra Toll Road to Palembang, then then passed the East Sumatra Cross road. Then in Jambi, we passed the Sumatran Central Highway to Kiliran Jao, then to Bukittinggi," he explained.

In the future, he hopes that the Trans Sumatra Toll Road connecting Palembang and Jambi, which is currently still in the land acquisition stage, can be completed soon. The government is targeting the 169-kilometer toll road connecting Betung - Tempino - Jambi to be completed in 2024.

 

Other travelers bound for Medan, Randi said he was grateful for the Trans Sumatra Toll Road which made it easier for him to return to his hometown. Apart from shortening travel time, the existence of the toll road also gives him a sense of security compared to having to go through the Trans-Sumatra road.

"Especially when crossing at night in the Lampung and South Sumatra areas, you are worried that there will be roadblocks," said Randi.

To get to Medan, Randi must pass a number of toll roads, including the Bakauheni-Palembang toll road, then continue the Pekanbaru-Dumai and Tebing Tinggi-Medan toll roads. Randi hopes that a number of other Trans Sumatra toll roads such as Palembang - Jambi and Jambi - Rengat and Rengat-Pekanbaru can be completed soon.

The Head of the Trans Sumatra Toll Road Security Service Post KM 234A Area, Mesuji, Lampung, Ipda Indra Maruli, said there were two teams tasked with securing the resort.

Each team consists of 10 personnel, who carry out patrol duties at the resort.

"We anticipate the occurrence of criminal acts on the vehicles of travelers who are resting in this rest arearest areasThis. Especially acts of theft with the mode of breaking glass," said Indra.

Moreover, in the rest area there is a rat road leading to the village. Therefore, his party urges travelers to ensure their vehicles are locked securely and do not leave valuables in the vehicle. These are usually filled with travelers who want to rest at night.

"We also ask travelers who want to rest to park their vehicles in front of the rest area, to make it easier for our officers to carry out monitoring. Meanwhile, the rear is reserved for large vehicles such as trucks and buses," he added.

His party continues to make efforts to provide a sense of security and comfort for travelers by conducting routine patrols in the rest area . In addition, travelers who feel tired are also asked to be able to rest first at a resort before continuing their journey.

Previously, Director of Operations III Hutama Karya, Koentjoro, said that PT Hutama Karya (Persero) completed the maintenance of the Trans Sumatra Toll Road (JTTS) early to support the Lebaran homecoming.

The manager of the Trans Sumatra Toll Road ensures that the toll road is ready for travelers traveling from Java to Sumatra and vice versa.

The maintenance is carried out on the longest section of JTTS, namely Bakauheni –Terbanggi Besar (Bakter) KM 08+900 to KM 138+600 and Terbanggi Besar – Pematang Panggang – Kayu Agung (Terpeka) KM 141+400 to 325+00.

"The road conditions are prime and good for travelers to pass through," he said some time ago.

Travelers are also expected to comply with the speed limit on toll roads, which is a maximum of 100 kilometers per hour and a minimum of 60 kilometers per hour. 

Two Taiwanese journalists suspected of being detained in Fujian during Chinese military exercise

Recently, Taiwanese media disclosed that during China's military exercises against Taiwan, two reporters from Taiwan's Dongsen News TV were detained by the national security in Pingtan, Fujian. Dongsen News responded to this station's inquiry and stated that the current conditions of the two reporters are the same and they continue to work in Xiamen.

 

According to the Taiwan media "Liberty Times", China held the "Joint Sword" exercise from April 8th to 10th. On the second day after the exercise started, two reporters from Dongsen News went to Pingtan, Fujian Province to film the military exercise. When the reporter was connecting with the TV anchor, a PLA soldier came forward and asked to check his ID. In the picture, the People's Liberation Army said, "To confirm your identity, it doesn't matter as long as you confirm that you are not a spy." But later it was reported that the two had been detained by China and their movements were restricted.

The report pointed out that Dongsen did not seek assistance from Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council and the Taiwan Strait Foundation, but approached China through relationships on its own. Before the case was exposed, Taiwan's national security unit had learned that the two journalists were taken away by Chinese personnel in Pingtan, and they are still in Xiamen and unable to return to Taiwan.

Our station called Chen Mingyi, deputy manager of the marketing and planning department of Dongsen News Station, to inquire about the current situation of the two reporters. Dongsen News Station replied, "At present, the conditions of the two reporters surnamed Huang and Li of our company are no different from daily. They He also maintains normal daily contact with the company's interview supervisor, and is currently working in Xiamen."

It is understood that the two journalists were allowed limited freedom of movement and external communication, but may still be continuously monitored by the authorities.

Taiwan Journalists Association Concerned about the Detention of Dongsen Journalist

Wu Baixuan, secretary-general of the Taiwan Journalists Association (JIA), said in an interview with this station that the JIA is concerned and worried about the safety of the two Taiwanese journalists. The topic of interviews during the military exercise is sensitive, and it is not yet clear what the People's Liberation Army considers the investigation of the two journalists in Taiwan. The news that has spread to the outside world is that they are still under investigation and have not been freed.

Wu Baixuan: "We believe that Taiwan reporters are based on the original intention of caring for cross-strait peace. We hope that Dongsen and relevant units will handle it properly. The Taiwan Journalists Association is a member of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). If necessary, we will seek international The organization is concerned for the safety of the two journalists."

Front TV reporter disclosed the experience of being detained by the Chinese during the Taiwan Strait crisis interview exercise in 1996

Front desk reporter Sui Ande and photojournalist Zhuang Jiwei also previously covered the "Two Sessions" in Beijing, and disclosed that they were detained while covering exercises in Fujian.

Sui Ande recalled in an interview with our station that in 1996, Taiwan's then President Lee Teng-hui ran for re-election. The previous year, Lee Teng-hui gave a speech at Cornell University in the United States. The tension between the United States, China and Taiwan triggered the Taiwan Strait missile crisis in 1996. At that time, Sui Ande and Zhuang Jiwei, who were covering the "two sessions" in Beijing, were ordered to go to Pingtan, Fujian to cover the military exercise, which is the same place where Dongsen reporters were detained.

"Out of their control, it is an 'illegal interview' to the mainland. If I (if) tell the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, it will be exposed and I cannot interview, so we 'leave without saying goodbye'." Sui Ande said.

When they arrived in Fuzhou, the two checked into the hotel and bought a handheld camera (V8) specially. After taking the hotel taxi, they went straight to the pier of Pingtan Island where the exercise was held. At that time, the island had been designated as a military exercise area, and ordinary people could not approach it at will. They grabbed V8s along the way to snap shots, but they were surrounded by police as soon as they arrived at the pier.

Sui Ande: "Three or five police cars from the police surrounded us, and then they pulled out their guns and told us not to move, just like the police and robbers, they treated us as robbers, told us to get out of the car, put our hands behind our backs, and lay on the hood above."

Sui Ande recalled afterwards that it was a foolish decision to find the hotel driver. The driver had already tipped off the news. The two were not sent to a detention center, but were taken to a "reception hotel" guarded by the Fuqing City Government. They were isolated in a room for each person: "There are two beds in the room, and the other bed next to it is a sleeping policeman."

He said that not long after China passed the National Security Law at that time, in 1993, Hong Kong Ming Pao reporter Xi Yang was accused by Beijing of "stealing state secrets" and sentenced to 12 years in prison. During the few days in detention, the two were asked to write a confession during the day, explaining who they had contacted in Beijing and Fuzhou.

Sui Ande, who is in charge of cross-strait military news in Taiwan, happened to attend a press conference of Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense, and a press release reporting on China's military exercises was found. Fortunately, three days later, it was determined that there was no problem after investigation, and they were taken back to the hotel in Fuzhou and asked to cooperate in "acting".

Sui Ande: "They opened a temporary investigative bureau. In the room we rented in our hotel, I was in the same room as the cameraman. They recruited CCTV reporters from Fuzhou to take pictures. To release information to the outside world, these two reporters violated the state law. Ping An was frank and honest, and later this episode was broadcast on CCTV.” On the fourth day, Sui Ande and the photographer were deported to Hong Kong and returned to Taiwan smoothly.

Li Mingzhe, a Taiwanese non-governmental organization worker who was once sentenced to prison by the Chinese authorities for "subverting state power", told this station that when his case was in court, only a few media in Taiwan were allowed to interview, as if he was considered to be a green camp Sanli and FTV were not allowed to enter the interview.

"Journalists who are allowed to interview in China have basically been reviewed by China. If the reporter is not in a serious situation, China will probably not make a big fuss." Li Mingzhe added, "It should be a slight warning, go to ask for a warning , or assuming they have taken pictures of the exercise, they should be asked to remove the pictures, so the problem is not big.”

Li Mingzhe said that in Taiwan, journalists have the right to interview, and everyone will respect journalists' interviews, but this situation does not exist in China. Because China regards journalists and the media as propaganda agencies of the Communist Party to serve it, the way of thinking is quite different.

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council responded to our station's inquiries and stated that the Taiwan government will continue to understand the specific situation and subsequent developments. The MAC emphasized that cross-strait journalists interviewing and reporting each other is of great significance to promoting mutual understanding, and maintaining a reasonable working space for journalists can only promote the development of cross-strait news exchanges. The CCP has always strictly controlled the freedom of news gathering and speech. The MAC once again reminds you to pay attention to the risks arising from the different systems on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, and to pay attention to personal safety in all activities in the mainland.

NUG targets military council factories

Every time I bend, Pyhyu Township, No. 21 of the military council based in Kandonma village. The National Unity Government NUG Ministry of Defense announced that the defense equipment factory was attacked on April 16.

Minbu district No. (1) battalion under NUG and local battalions cooperated with shock missiles, The NUG announced yesterday on April 18 that they attacked with rocket launchers.

Before this attack, last week, it was reported that the PDF forces under the NUG and the local PDF and PKA forces jointly attacked the power line that runs to the No. 22 KAPS factory.

Within a week, two factories, No. 21 and 22, were targeted.

The commander of Pakokku District No. (19) Battalion, which participated in those attacks, told RFA this.

"KAPS produces a lot of weapons. There are reports that No. 21 has started producing fire bombs. There are two KAPS offices in our township. 21 and 22. 22 produces aviation equipment. It produces anti-aircraft weapons. That's why we attack towards the KAPAS. Without fire, we can't do anything, so we attack towards the lamp post."

When the power line of No. 22 was blown up, about 15 members of the military council were injured. He said two died.

In the attack on the No. 21 Kappa factory, we can only say that the explosion occurred inside the factory. The NUG Defense Department could not say how much damage there was.

On April 11, an airstrike by the Military Council killed about 200 people in the village of Pazi Gyi.

On the first day of April 17th, the PDF forces captured the military council's tower hill in Kani Township, Sagaing Division. Weapons were also obtained.

It was a joint fight between PDF battalion (1) of Ma Pin district and local PDF troops. A Kani resident told about the battle to take over the camp. 

"That camp is a strategic camp for the military council on the Monywa-Kelwa highway. The main one is a camp with a communication cable network. According to the reports we have received, we will increase air traffic to Sagaing after Thingyan, so we must be careful now that the strategic communication hill has been seized."

As a result of the attack that day, 23-year-old Ko Aung Chan Nyein from the PDF side was killed and 16 others were injured. MA guns in the camp battle. Short and long guns, More than 15 bombs The NUG announced that nearly 100 mines and more than 9,000 cartridges were seized.

The Military Council has not made any announcement about the battle to take over the camp. NUG spokesperson U Ne Boorn Lat told RFA last night that the attacks are accelerating.

"Phase 2 of the One Year Plan. Attacking strategic military targets, and the next thing is a coordinated attack. Instead of attacking one place or another, we have to do a coordinated attack that attacks ethnic forces and revolutionary forces at the same time. I can't tell you the details. We are doing what is in the One Year Plan."

Going forward, will there be offensive attacks on these key areas?

"At one time, we used the term "defensive war". Now, more than just defense, we have been conducting battles and attacking and occupying some camps. In the future, we are aiming for offensive operations from our own side rather than pre-offensives."

RFA called General Zaw Min Tun to ask the military council about the attack on cotton factories, but could not be contacted.

CDM Capt. Kung Thu Win, who left the army and joined the people because he could not continue working under the military council, suggested that instead of attacking the large military council camps in central Burma, it is necessary to launch an offensive through the border areas.

"The border camp must be demolished first. After that, the border towns must be captured as much as possible. After that, we must slowly enter the interior. We cannot enter the same place from the west or the east. It is not just the NUG. We must join the EAOs and attack at the same time. If we can enter in this way, the military council's air force will not be in one place, but if they go this way and that way, then their attacks will be reduced. Otherwise, they will attack in the same place."

The National Unity Government (NUG) has said that it has been able to control about 50 percent of the current territory.

The military leader, General Min Aung Hlaing, NUG, As he said, he will take decisive action against the PDF groups and the ethnic armed groups that support them. The NUG National Unity Government has also said that it will carry out planning offensives this year, so there is a possibility that the fighting will be intense going forward.