Cirebon prince warns West Java of separation

Cirebon prince warns West Java of separation

Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung

Increasing momentum to turn Cirebon into a separate province was
given a boost when the Sultan of Cirebon warned the West Java
administration that its failure to improve the social welfare of
local people has had special resonance during an era of regional
autonomy.

Cirebon Prince Arief Natadiningrat gave the official warning
during a meeting with Eko Santosa, chairman of the West Java
provincial legislative council, here on Monday.

Arief said that he was conveying the aspirations of the
majority of people in Cirebon, Indramayu, Madjalengka and
Kuningan, adding that the four regencies will forge a new
province if the West Java officials do not begin paying attention
to the regional social problems.

"We will be waiting for changes until the end of this year ...
If we see no progress, it will likely be better for us to form a
new province to make the power closer to the people," he said.

The idea of a separate Cirebon province emerged early last
year when provincial administration officials failed to fund
economic development programs and tackle social problems such as
illiteracy and poverty, prevalent in the four regencies.

Besides the economic reasons, people in the four regencies
have also been keenly aware of their cultural differences with
the predominantly Sundanese West Java.

Arief, who is also chairman of the Cirebon Royal Foundation,
said that a majority of the people and members of the local elite
in the regencies have also been disappointed with the provincial
and central government, which they said has paid less attention
to the region over the last four decades.

"Despite the regional autonomy's implementation, the power has
been concentrated in the central government and the provincial
administration," he said. "The four regencies have no authority
to make priorities in the development programs to catch up with
other regencies."

He added that the four regencies were rich in natural
resources, especially gas and oil deposits, but that a majority
of people in the region were still living in poverty, and had not
even graduated from elementary school.

"It is ironic that we are still supplying eggs to other
regencies -- the most important thing is that we have been
treated unfairly, and we won't to continue to live under such a
discrimination," he said.

Arief called on the provincial administration to launch
programs to immediately eradicate the poverty, and fight against
prevalent illiteracy in an endeavor to lift the employment level,
and improve overall social welfare.

The government, he added, should carry out an economic
development program oriented at empowering indigenous people to
avoid problems stemming from racism in the region.

The prince also proposed an allocation of Rp 250 million for
Cirebon to design its own development programs, and make a city
plan for the municipality.

Eka pledged to bring these problems to the fore in another
discussion between the legislature and the provincial
administration. He said he would encourage the governor to pay
more attention to the four regencies in the future.

"Politically, we receive the four regencies' aspirations but
give an adequate time for us to repair all wrong development
policies made the previous administrations," he said.