Decision on new province irks Riau governor

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The proposed formation of a Riau Islands province has stirred strong discord pitting the central government and the islands' inhabitants -- some of whom oppose the idea -- against the current Riau province on the mainland, which seeks a democratic compromise on the issue.

On Friday, Riau Governor Saleh Djasid offered a cynical reaction to the decision by the House of Representatives' special committee the day before to accommodate the proposal.

If the creation of the new province is based solely on the House's agreement, he said, "such a mechanism does not educate people on how to comply with the law."

As the controversy intensified, meanwhile, two groups of students -- for and against the new province -- were almost embroiled in a physical confrontation during their separate demonstrations outside the Riau provincial legislative council in the capital of Pekanbaru on Friday.

Students opposed to the breakaway province accused the House of creating needless divisions among the Riau people which could spread to disintegration at the national level.

During the two demonstrations, the governor held a hearing with the legislature's special committee to discuss the subject of tap water in the province.

At that time, the governor changed his vehicle license plate number from a government one to a civilian one to allow him to enter and leave the legislature compound unhindered by protesters.

The group of student demonstrators who support the establishment of a new province dispersed shortly after security personnel were deployed outside the legislative compound.

The governor said he had no objections to the House's decision, but added that the state should be allowed to make its own decisions. Such legislative procedure, he added, is paramount to educating the public to both understand and respect the law.

"There are many problems to be solved before the House lends its weight to the proposal," he said.

The House's special committee was set up last year after the legislators agreed with the idea, and set the process in motion by drafting a law on the foundation of the new province.

The House's special committee deliberated the draft law in the would-be province at a Thursday meeting before more than 2,000 residents of the Riau Islands, who supported autonomy.

The movement toward a new province has met the most opposition from the Riau provincial legislative council and Natuna, one of five regencies on the Riau Islands.

The other four regencies -- all of which support the new province -- are Batam, Karimun, Riau Islands and Tanjungpinang.