Autonomy pits Jambi against Riau over island<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Two neighboring provinces, Riau and Jambi, have been involved in
\nan intense rift over Berhala Island over the last two months.
\nBoth have claimed the ten-square-kilometer islet, for political,
\ncultural and historical reasons.<\/p>\n
Both sides said they were awaiting mediation from the central
\ngovernment to resolve the conflict.<\/p>\n
The dispute, which first surfaced in 1983, has been worsening
\nsince the two provinces have grown increasingly interested in
\ndeveloping the island's economic, tourist and fishing potential
\nunder the regional autonomy law.<\/p>\n
The row over the island rose into surface following the
\nproposed formation of the Riaus Island regency.<\/p>\n
Jambi Governor Zulkifli Nurdin insisted that if seen from the
\ngeographical, administrative and historical perspectives, Berhala
\nwas an integral part of Jambi.<\/p>\n
\"If Riau said the rift over the island should no longer be
\ndiscussed because it was part of its territory, Jambi adversely
\nissues its own claim,\" he said in a meeting with students,
\nactivists and journalists in Jambi on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
He said the rift must be solved and the island must be
\nreturned to Jambi.<\/p>\n
He said he had none of his own interests behind the rift or
\nthe island but his administration was collecting material
\nevidence and data to support their claim of the island.<\/p>\n
Many Jambi people whose ancestors came from the island have
\npressed the governor to retrieve the island since the island was
\na home for their forefathers and cultural heritage of the former
\nMelayu kingdom Before and After Christ.<\/p>\n
According to Zulkifli, administratively, 12 families living on
\nthe island had identity cards from the Jambi provincial
\nadministration and cast their votes for political parties in
\nJambi in the 1982 general election<\/p>\n
\"This is evidence that the island's 50 inhabitants are part of
\nJambi's population and they have interacted with other people on
\nthe Jambi mainland,\" he said as quoted by Antara.<\/p>\n
The island has been under a no-activity status since the rift
\nerupted in 1983, barring the two provinces from doing activities
\non it.<\/p>\n
Fachruddin Saudagar, a historian from Jambi University,
\nconcurred and said that according to the Tanah Simpang and Tanah
\nKumpeh Hilir charters written in 1211, the island was part of
\nJambi.<\/p>\n
He said Jambi should retrieve the island, explaining the
\nimportance of the Islamic-Melayu history in the province.<\/p>\n
He said that according to history, the island, located 2.5
\nmiles off the Batanghari River mouth in the Jambi regency of East
\nTanjung Jabung, was occupied by a king of Turkish-descent, King
\nDatuk Paduka Berhala in 1321.<\/p>\n
From his marriage with Princess Selaras Pinang Masak, Berhala
\ngained a son named Datuk Paduka Nangsum who was made the new king
\nof the island. Nangsum married the daughter of Demang Lebar Daun
\nin Palembang, South Sumatra and they had four sons --Orang Kayo
\nHitam, Orang Kayo Pingai, Orang Kayo Pendataran and Orang Kayo
\nGemuk. On the island, the four established a town, Ujung Jabung,
\nwhich was an embryo for the birth of Islamic Melayu culture in
\nJambi.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Saleh Syari, an informal leader of Berhala Island,
\ncalled on the two provinces' governors to seek a peaceful
\nsolution to the rift with the mediation of the home affairs
\nministry to give legal certainty on the island's status.<\/p>\n
\"The government should seek an immediate solution to the
\nconflict so that the island's inhabitants are certain of which
\nprovince they are in,\" Antara quoted Syari as saying in Pekanbaru
\non Wednesday.<\/p>\n
According to him, most people on the island had claimed they
\nare part of Riau.<\/p>\n
\"In the past, many locals preferred Jambi Province because of
\nRiau's lack of attention to the island. But, now it is
\ndifferent,\" he said without elaborating.<\/p>\n
Besides the historical, cultural and political reasons, the
\nisland is part of Riau in accordance with the map made during the
\nDutch colonial era.<\/p>\n
Directorate General for Public Administration and Regional
\nAutonomy Soedarsono said the government would immediately
\nfacilitate a meeting between the conflicting provinces to seek a
\npeaceful solution.<\/p>\n
He said the central government had no concept of how such
\nproblems should be solved \"but at least we will mediate between
\nthe two sides to seek a peaceful solution.\"<\/p>\n
Soedarsono admitted that many such problems had surfaced
\nduring the autonomy but the government could do nothing to the
\nproblems because such problems could not stipulated in the
\nregional autonomy.<\/p>\n
He said most regents, experts and legislators were holding a
\ngathering in Palembang, South Sumatra to make preparations for
\nthe planned amendment of the autonomy law so that such problems
\nwould not arise in the future.<\/p>\n
\"I don't know yet what changes will be made to the law because
\nit is still being discussed by regents, experts and legislators,\"
\nhe told The Jakarta Post by telephone.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/autonomy-pits-jambi-against-riau-over-island-1447893297",
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