Team starts inquiry into Kampar protests

Haidir Anwar Tanjung and Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post, Pekanbaru/Makassar

A team from the Kampar Regency Council visited schools on Monday in the regency capital of Bangkinang to check into allegations by Kampar Regent Jefri Noer that massive protests against him by students and teachers were being engineered by outside parties.

Meanwhile, as thousands of students and teachers protested for a sixth day on Monday, forcing schools in the regency to close, the central government said it would not get involved in the matter. The protesters are demanding the resignation of Jefri, who has been accused of insulting a local teacher.

Back to Bangkinang, the team of 13 councillors found at least three schools were closed. They were unable to enter Bangkinang High School because the gates were locked. At two other high schools visited by the councillors, including the Al Badar Islamic Boarding School, classes had been canceled.

The chairman of the Al Badar Islamic Boarding School Foundation, Bustami Jali, told the councillors that classes had been canceled since last Tuesday, the first day of protests by students and teachers.

He denied the protests had been engineered by outside parties, saying they reflected the real anger of people in the regency.

Syafrizal, the deputy chairman of the team from the regency council, said the councillors would visit more schools on Tuesday and Wednesday before reporting to their factions on Thursday.

The Kampar Regency Council will then convene a plenary session on Saturday to decide the fate of the beleaguered regent.

The councillors heard Jefri's version of the incident that sparked the protests during a meeting last Saturday between the regent and the 45 councillors.

Regarding a threat by Jefri to fire the thousands of teachers involved in the protests, Syafrizal of the Golkar Party said that would not be a prudent solution.

Thousands of students and teachers were back on the streets on Monday to protest Jefri's allegedly poor treatment of a teacher during a meeting between the regent and teachers two weeks ago. The teacher was reportedly ordered out of the meeting room by Jefri after questioning the regent's budget allocation for education.

Separately in the South Sulawesi capital of Makassar, Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno said he was keeping a close eye on events in Kampar.