Protesters demand new province

MEDAN, North Sumatra: Hundreds of people and students claiming to be residents of the Central Aceh, Gayo Luwes, Bener Meriah, Southeast Aceh and Aceh Singkil regencies held a protest on Monday at the representative office of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam province in Medan, the capital of North Sumatra province.

The protesters demanded the provincial government to endorse their call to separate their regencies from Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam and establish a new province, the Leuser Antara province.

Syafarudin, who coordinated the protest, said the group made the demand, as the Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam administration had failed to boost the prosperity of the regencies, which were rich in natural resources. -- JP