JP\/20\/AZHAR<\/p>\n
Al Azhar, 'president' of Free Riau<\/p>\n
Puji Santoso
\nThe Jakarta Post\/Pekanbaru, Riau
\n
\nThis thickly bearded gentleman, who is also a chain smoker and a
\ncultural activist, is always restless. Very often he feels angry
\nwith the central government, which, in his opinion, is arrogant.
\nThis arrogance is why freeing Riau from Jakarta's control often
\ncrosses his mind.<\/p>\n
He nurtures an extreme idea of turning Riau into a sovereign
\nterritory, a \"Free Riau\" that has seceded from Indonesia; an even
\nmore extreme idea is to turn Riau into the tenth state of
\nMalaysia.<\/p>\n
Is the man really serious, or is it merely an ideal?<\/p>\n
Al Azhar, more intimately addressed with the honorific meaning
\nelder brother, Bang, as in Bang Al, is usually referred to as the
\n\"president of Free Riau\", a nickname the central Jakarta abhors
\nbut which is used by the Riau people to address him fondly.<\/p>\n
Jakarta does not want to see its control over Riau reduced, as
\nit would mean less or, perhaps, no control over the province's
\nnatural resources like oil, forest products, coconut palms, tin
\nand many others.<\/p>\n
For the Riau people, on the other hand, Al is a symbol of
\nchange.<\/p>\n
Ironically, the majority of Riau's population live in poverty,
\ndespite the richness of their province; some have even been
\nforced to give up ancestral land inherited from their ancestors
\nto survive.<\/p>\n
Only God knows whether Al really wants to be a president;
\nnevertheless, he has the makings of one. Smartly dressed, Al
\ncommands respect, and like a real president, he is difficult to
\nreach -- not because of bureaucratic reasons, but because he
\nfrequently runs out of credit on his cell phone.<\/p>\n
The beginnings of a movement toward a Free Riau were initiated
\nin 1994, under an acacia tree fronting Riau University. About 20
\nstudents, assigned a research trip to Leiden University, had
\ngathered and were discussing the future of Riau province.<\/p>\n
Born 43 years ago in Pasirpangaraian, Al said the idea of
\nestablishing a Free Riau had first come to him in 1987. Although
\nhe went to Holland for his studies in 1989 -- after completing
\nelementary school in Dalu, junior high school in Pasirpangaraian
\nand graduating with a diploma from a Pekanbaru senior high school
\nwith a diploma -- the discussion on this subject continued
\nintensively.<\/p>\n
Aside from talking about establishing a Free Riau, the
\ndiscussion also touched a variety of topics such as Riau's
\nresistance to Batam, which, according to Al and his friends, was
\na \"state within a state\", and also caused the marginalization of
\nthe indigenous people on Batam island. All of these issues
\nindicated how the central government ignored the local people.<\/p>\n
\"We think Indonesia has left the economic tradition which, in
\nthe 1920s, was known as economic dualism, namely socialism versus
\ncapitalism. Unfortunately, in the case of Riau, the socialist
\naspect is entirely negated. Batam has been turned into an
\nauthority, which means that the power-holder there must be an
\nauthoritarian,\" Al told The Jakarta Post in a meeting at his
\noffice in Bandar Serai, Pekanbaru.<\/p>\n
He continued that, following the establishment of the Batam
\nauthority, the indigenous Batam people rights were wrested.
\n\"Local people suddenly became strangers on their own island, with
\nthe reasons given based entirely on capitalism.\"<\/p>\n
Al said he was not alone, and was fighting for a Free Riau
\nwith other societal elements. Riau writers, for example, write
\nstories about the idea; while community elders are also
\nparticipating in the movement, setting up their own organization,
\nthe Communication Forum of Riau Community Elders (FKPMR).<\/p>\n
\"In this forum, we discuss and fight for the future of the
\nRiau people, who are becoming increasingly impoverished,\" said
\nAl.<\/p>\n
Before \"Free Riau\" became the popular catchword it is today
\namong the Riau people, Al and his friends openly voiced his
\nprotest against the central government, even when the repressive
\nNew Order regime was still in power.<\/p>\n
In those dark days, Al and his buddies, though never jailed,
\nwere often blacklisted by state security apparatuses: \"As our
\nprotests failed to bring about any changes, we have no other way
\nbut to try and fight for our own freedom,\" he said.<\/p>\n
It was this situation that became the backdrop for the Riau
\nPeople's Congress in 2000. The congress confirmed the wish of the
\nmajority of its people: a Free Riau.<\/p>\n
Will this movement be like the Free Aceh Movement? Not
\nnecessarily, said Al. \"We do not want to resort to an armed
\nstruggle to win our freedom. The cost will be too high and such a
\nmovement will certainly claim lives. We want our movement to be
\npeaceful and sympathetic.\"<\/p>\n
Implicitly, much dissatisfaction has accumulated behind the
\nmovement, especially regarding the redistribution of the
\nprovince's assets.<\/p>\n
Al Azhar, an indigenous son of Riau, nurtures many ambitions,
\nincluding wanting to see a prosperous Riau. Personally, however,
\nhe loves art: literature, drama and classical music.<\/p>\n
Is he really ready to become the president of Riau if the
\nprovince becomes independent some day?<\/p>\n
\"A day after being sworn in as president, I will issue a
\ndecree to confirm my resignation. For me, to be an artist is
\nnobler than being the president of a Free Riau.\"<\/p>\n
He appears to have no presidential ambitions at all.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jp20azhar-1447899208", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }