Separate Riau province demanded

YOGYAKARTA: Some 50 people claiming to represent the inhabitants of the Riau islands rallied at a roundabout in front of the state Gadjah Mada University here on Saturday to urge the government to establish a separate province for the archipelago.

Located east of Sumatra and south of Singapore, the group of islands are currently part of Riau province, which stretches between North Sumatra and Jambi provinces. Its capital city is Pekanbaru.

One of the protesters, Masiswanto, said there was no reason for the Riau provincial administration to reject the demands for the establishment of a new province.

He said a special committee set up by the provincial administration to study the aspiration and an independent team for regional autonomy had concluded that the islands were ready to become a province.

The protest organizer, group chairman Said Fadillah said Riau was too large to control. This has led to the poaching of fish worth trillions of rupiah annually, he added.

Secretary general of the group Riowanto dismissed allegations that the demand was being voiced to thwart public calls for independence for Riau. (23/lup)