(09/22/2007)
SURABAYA - The number of divorce cases in Indonesia has reached 200 thousand each year, the highest rate in the Asia Pacific region, data said.

Serious disputes in marriage have become the main reason for a divorce, Karuniawati, the East Java provincial chapter of the Prosperous and Justice Party (PKS) said here on Friday.

Karuniawati, head of women`s affairs division of PKS said that although the local religious high court (PTA) had suggested solutions, urging the disputing couples to cancel their planned divorce, only about 1,000 couples withdrew their law suits in Surabaya.

Chairperson of the PKS provincial chapter expressed concern over the great number of divorce cases in Surabaya, capital city of East Java province in recent years.

Data showed that the number of divorce cases in East Java alone in 2003 reached 40,391, in 2004 increased to 42,769, but in 2005 skyrocketed to 55,509 cases.(Ant/PAB)