Protesters demand new province

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