Dialog with people of Riau
Dialog with people of Riau
From Suara Karya
According to media reports, President Abdurrahman Wahid has said that he will have people calling for a free Riau arrested and that these people calling for a free Riau come from Jakarta. The President reportedly has given his word that once they are identified they will be sent to a detention house for investigation.
The statement made by the President is right and must be supported by all Indonesians. We are aware of the fact that for 32 years the people of Riau have been neglected and therefore have lived in bitter misery, with Riau being the second poorest province in Sumatra. In fact, Riau is rich in natural oil deposits.
A lot of discussions have been held with various figures from Riau and in essence, the problem is how to narrow the difference in opinion between the central government and the Riau community about the need for political autonomy in Riau. Such a difference is still natural because it is still within the scope of the nation. Perhaps similar dialogs or discussions should be held for other regions such as South Sulawesi, Irian Jaya, Aceh and so forth.
Although Riau is poor, it has always been like that. It will grow rich, or even become the richest in Indonesia, with the enforcement of the Law on regional autonomy. This law stipulates that 75 percent of natural oil and gas production coming from projects in this region will go to the region, compared with only 15 percent, which has been the case until now.
As a person indigenous to Riau, I hope that the central government will immediately enforce regional autonomy and I also call on people in Riau to help the government in its effort to raise the standard of living in Riau and for its people. Do not aggravate the problem by playing upon state sovereignty and national unity or even be lured by the idea of a federal state. The people of Riau must be patient and careful in making a decision which will concern many. Do not act emotionally and recklessly. Remember national unity must be maintained to welcome the new Indonesia which we all aspire for.
FARHAN AZUMARDI
Depok, West Java