Separate Riau province demanded

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)