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.