Maluku youths protest governor

JAKARTA: Twelve youth organizations in Maluku have called on Home Affairs Minister Moch. Yogie S. to reprimand Maluku Governor M. Akib Latuconsina for "disrespecting" them.

Led by the local branch of the Indonesian Youth Committee (KNPI), the youth groups filed a petition with the ministry here yesterday.

In the statement signed by the KNPI's Maluku branch chairman Abdullah Tausikal and his secretary-general Richard Ufie, the youths said objected to governor Latuconsina's leadership style as it "fails to develop local youth organizations."

"His leadership does not allow Maluku and its the younger generation to develop," the statement said, as reported by Antara. We want the ministry to set up a team to assess the governor's abilities."

Abdullah said the conflict between the governor and the youths began in 1994, when Latuconsina overturned the results of a KNPI election, insisting that his son-in-law Oemar Tahir lead the organization.

Since then the governor has denied the KNPI the facilities it needs, he added. (pan)