Indonesian treasure put at grave risk

Southeast Asia's richest underwater archeological find in decades is stored under a leaky corrugated iron roof at a stable in Indonesia's capital, guarded by marines who claim a solitary gun between them.

The treasures are at the center of a shadowy scandal entwining alleged modern-day pirates, booty worth millions of dollars, stern diplomatic protests and murky corruption allegations.

Relics a 10th-century wreck -- which could provide information about ancient trading routes and the arrival of Islam in Indonesia -- lie in a bath under the tropical sun behind yellow police tape.

Several centuries-old Chinese ceramic bowls are stacked in plastic crates. Under a nearby hangar, fragile copper mirrors, beautiful glass bottles and ancient ship parts are also being stored.

Last month police swooped on two divers, German Fred Dobberphul and Frenchman Jean-Paul Blancan, accusing them of illegally salvaging their find.

"Blancan doesn't have a license to do that, only PT Paradigma does," deputy national police spokesman Anton Bachrul Alam said, referring to the Indonesian salvage company that employed them.

Their Yudhistira Setiawan denies the claim, pointing out that both divers have work visas as employees of the company and kept authorities fully informed of their excavation work.

The pair face up to 10 years' imprisonment.

The German and French embassies have said that the salvage operations had the necessary permits from at least 11 ministries. The French embassy issued a protest note saying that Blancan's arrest was arbitrary.

Police their charges are based on a 1992 law on cultural heritage, but the company's lawyer and Marine Ministry say this was superceded by a 2000 presidential decree aimed at making treasure-hunting transparent.

Luc Heymans, the Belgian head of the salvaging project begun two years ago, claims that a rival company, PT Tuban Oceanic Research and Recovery (TORR), was behind the arrests, aiming to get their own hands on the bounty.

Heymans that corrupt elements in the Indonesian police have assisted his rivals.

When asked about the corruption allegations, police insisted their investigation followed the 1992 law while Budi Prakosa, director of TORR, has denied that his company wants to take over their work.

Prakosa local investigative weekly Gatra last month that he had reported Heymans and his team to the Marine Ministry because he had "concrete data" about their illegality.

Indonesia's Agency for the Protection of Underwater Heritage, a government body that coordinates the complex issuing of permits for salvage operations, has sent repeated letters to police arguing that Heymans' team was legal, agency head Hasyim Zaini said.

Each week the imbroglio drags on, Indonesia is at risk of losing a key portion of its maritime history, experts warn.

After sitting under the ocean for a thousand years, the treasures urgently need complex preservation treatments, Heymans said.

The treasure provides important clues to trade between Indonesian kingdoms, Persia, Africa, and China, said Horst Liebner, a maritime historian advising the Marine Ministry.