Support grows for naming E. Sumatra<\/p>\n
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan<\/p>\n
Demands are growing for the establishment of an East Sumatra
\nprovince that would cover at least 11 regencies in North Sumatra,
\nincluding Medan, Karo, Langkat and Simalungun.<\/p>\n
Around 750 people from Karo, Simalungun and Langkat
\ndemonstrated on Wednesday at the North Sumatra provincial
\nlegislative council on Jl. Imam Bonjol in Medan to support the
\ndemand.<\/p>\n
Minutes after their arrival there at 1 p.m., the protesters
\nwere met by council Speaker Ahmad Azhari and North Sumatra Deputy
\nGovernor Abdul Wahab Dalimunthe, who promised to back their
\nstruggle for a separate province.<\/p>\n
\"The final decision fully depends on the legislatures. The
\nprovincial administration will only be able to handle the
\nadministrative side after the legislative councils in the 11
\nregencies which want an East Sumatra province established have
\nissued their recommendations,\" Wahab said.<\/p>\n
The eleven regencies are Medan, Langkat, Binjai, Deli Serdang,
\nKaro, Tebing Tinggi, Simalungun, Pematang Siantar, Asahan,
\nTanjung Balai and Labuhan Batu.<\/p>\n
Wahab said he agreed in principle that North Sumatra be split
\ninto two provinces -- North Sumatra and East Sumatra -- if this
\nwas what the local people wanted.<\/p>\n
Similar support was also voiced by Azhari, who pledged to
\nforward the protesters' aspirations to the provincial legislature
\nin accordance with the prevailing mechanisms.<\/p>\n
Both Azhari and Wahab, however, asked them to always strive to
\nmaintain the nation's unity and cohesion in their efforts to
\nbring about the establishment of an East Sumatra province.<\/p>\n
A written request for the new province on Sumatra Island was
\npresented to President Megawati Soekarnoputri through her close
\naide Singadi Kane when she visited Medan on March 3.<\/p>\n
A similar letter was also forwarded to the House of
\nRepresentatives through one of its deputy speakers, Soetardjo
\nSoeryogoeritno.<\/p>\n
Budi Mulya Bangun, who heads the Committee for the
\nEstablishment of East Sumatra Province, and who also led the
\nprotest, praised the deputy governor and the council chairman for
\ntheir positive response to the demonstrators' demands.<\/p>\n
Budi argued that the aspirations were based on the past
\nhistorical reality in which North Sumatra was separated into two
\ndistricts -- East Sumatra, with Medan as its capital, and
\nTapanuli, with Sibolga as its capital.<\/p>\n
\"We want to return to our history so that local people will be
\nable to enjoy the fruits of development,\" he told The Jakarta
\nPost.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/support-grows-for-naming-e-sumatra-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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