Riau anti-Dutch sultan honored

Riau anti-Dutch sultan honored

PEKANBARU, Riau: The late monarch Sultan Syarif Qasim II of
the Malay kingdom of Riau will soon be declared a national hero
in recognition of his struggle against the Dutch colonial rule,
Antara said.

After attending the launching of an autobiography of author
Suman HS here Thursday evening, Riau Governor Soeripto said a
presidential decree on this will be issued in Jakarta on Monday.

The sultan would be the province's third national hero, after
Tuanku Tambusai and Raja Haji Sabilillah.

Sultan Syarif Qasim II was a freedom fighter who fought
against the Dutch and Japanese rulers before the country gained
its independence in 1945. He is renowned for his part in the 1931
rebellion against the Dutch.