An independent Riau or a more just one?<\/p>\n
By Emmy Fitri<\/p>\n
PEKANBARU, Riau (JP): How does one gauge true sentiments for
\nindependence?<\/p>\n
That may be the crucial issue facing the situation in Riau.<\/p>\n
If you talk to self-proclaimed independence leaders, they
\nwould say that people here are quietly clamoring for a separation
\nfrom the republic.<\/p>\n
But talk to official leaders of the province, and they would
\nsay that this is more a cry against injustice.<\/p>\n
Unlike in Aceh, for example, you do not see mass public
\nrallies shouting for independence or white bandanas scribbled
\nwith the words "referendum".<\/p>\n
There is no widescale threat of people tearing down the red-
\nand-white national flag, replacing it with an independent Riau
\nflag.<\/p>\n
But talk to Tabrani Rab, the self-declared president of a
\nsovereign Riau, and he will swear that the 4.3 million people in
\nthe "new state" endorse the March 15 proclamation of independent
\nRiau.<\/p>\n
"The feelings are carefully concealed, the reaction you get
\ndepends on who is asking the people," said Tabrani, who is a lung
\ndisease specialist.<\/p>\n
"If I come to workers' camps at night, they yell freedom and
\nnothing else."<\/p>\n
He brushes aside the dismissive looks which view the
\ngentleness of the outward pouring for independence as a gauge of
\ndetermining the level of support for the movement.<\/p>\n
Top provincial administration officials in Riau acknowledge
\nthat there is severe injustice due to past policies, particularly
\nin the economic sphere, but people should not mistake that with
\nan all out desire for independence.<\/p>\n
"I don't hear people chanting freedom or federation in front
\nof my office," Pekanbaru Mayor Oesman Effendi Apan said.<\/p>\n
"Students once demanded freedom and federalism, which was
\nunrealistic. So it is gradually subduing now," he added.<\/p>\n
Riau Governor Saleh Djasit took a more pragmatic view, saying
\nit really came down to economics.<\/p>\n
He acknowledged the mood of discontent but expressed his
\nbelief that what students and local figures wanted was a fairer
\nshare of the province's abundant income.<\/p>\n
He pointed out that everyone could see that most of the
\nprovince's riches were being reaped by the central government
\nwhile development in the province remained sluggish.<\/p>\n
Most demands in the end would not progress further than a
\ndrastic change for a federalistic state, Saleh said.<\/p>\n
The key would be the sincerity of the central government in
\ncarrying out its promises and division of wealth.<\/p>\n
"To solve a problem without any compromise will never work.
\nThe government has endorsed laws on this matter and they promised
\nto make it as fair as possible so we will wait for this goodwill
\nto be implemented here," Saleh, an army brigadier general, said.<\/p>\n
The key laws he is referring to are Laws No. 22\/1999 and No.
\n25\/1999 on Regional Autonomy and the fiscal balance between the
\ncentral and provincial governments.<\/p>\n
Love<\/p>\n
Saleh expressed faith that people in the province still
\nbelieved in the ideals of an Indonesian unitary state.<\/p>\n
"Riau people love peace, and they don't like drastic changes
\nin their relatively peaceful lives as Indonesians. They don't
\nwant anything more than fair treatment," the governor said.<\/p>\n
"As long as the government proves their goodwill, we can
\naccept any decision from the central government."<\/p>\n
Once again he pointed out that the problem was in economic
\ndisparity, the kind of injustice which people can see in their
\ndaily lives.<\/p>\n
He noted that it was troubling to see people in parts of the
\nprovince living far below the poverty line in a place "where oil
\nis underneath and above the ground".<\/p>\n
An inventory of Riau's assets lists oil, a huge mining
\nindustry, hundreds of hectares of palm plantations and a
\nstrategic seaport as among the province's abundance.<\/p>\n
But the sight of so many semipermanent houses in the
\nprovincial capital leads to the questions of "where did it all
\ngo?"<\/p>\n
Data from the provincial administration shows that the number
\nof people living below the poverty line has now increased from
\n33.6 percent of the total population in 1998 to 42 percent.<\/p>\n
"The distribution of income from our natural products in the
\nprovince is certainly not what we expected," Saleh said.<\/p>\n
"Our province can submit a total regional revenue of Rp 59.14
\ntrillion from petroleum, palm oil and taxes, but all of it goes
\nto Jakarta (the central government) and for that we only get Rp 1
\ntrillion annually."<\/p>\n
Saleh further contended that despite the presence of so many
\nmultinational firms involved in joint ventures, the provincial
\ngovernment was often ostracized as the companies dealt directly
\nwith the central government.<\/p>\n
He expressed a wish to see the provincial administration be
\ndelegated with more authority to deal with foreign investors.<\/p>\n
"Our human resources may become better developed if they have
\nmore chances for better education and vacancies in the big
\ncompanies operating here," he said.<\/p>\n
Sometimes the landscape can be stricken as long lines of oil
\npipes pass in front of simple homes eking out a meager living.<\/p>\n
"For years, millions of barrels of oil have been exploited
\nfrom our land and only a drop is sent back to us," said Azlaini
\nAgus, the coordinator of the Riau People Reform Movement.<\/p>\n
"Our brothers and sisters sometimes eat leftover food from
\ntheir rich neighbors in the Caltex housing complex."<\/p>",
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