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More Cries For Separatism In Indonesia
by Kazi Mahmood for IslamOnline
JAKARTA (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - The Riau Islands are becoming the next region in Indonesia showing signs of discontent with the regime of Abdurrahman Wahid.
On Friday, an official of the provincial island government said the region would demand of the central government a royalty on oil and gas revenues on the resources extracted from the province.
In Pekanbaru, Riau, anti-Jakarta sentiments are running high in certain quarters to the point that some elements of the population are ready to launch an independence movement. Student organizations on several islands comprising the province of Riau said Wahid’s government should give a 25% royalty to the province from the extraction of oil and gas in the region.
In a press conference, Riau’s deputy governor for economy and development, Raja Abdul Aziz, said his office is ready to submit the concept of royalty to the House of Representatives in Jakarta.
Riau, in Sumatra, produces substantial amounts of oil and gas, and is possibly the most resource rich province in Indonesia. It also has strategic access to the Malacca Straits, the world’s busiest shipping lane due to Singapore’s free port.
Separatism in Riau is not new and has been gaining strength in the wake of other troubles facing the Indonesian government.
Tabrani Rab, a separatist leader in Riau, said earlier this year that thousands of Riau citizens are prepared to fight for independence, stating that they are not happy with what they call the central government’s practice of hijacking their wealth and giving next to nothing in return.
The province also encompasses the islands of Batam and Bintan, islands that are exclusively invested in by Singaporean businesses supported by Singapore’s government. A special package worth $250 million was offered this year by Singapore’s government to companies willing to invest in the region.
The provincial government of Riau Islands has also signed a deal with Singapore for the supply of fresh or treated water beginning in 2001 or later, depending on the fulfillment of certain conditions and conclusive end to negotiations.
In order to receive any royalties, the Indonesian House of Representatives would have to make amendments to the bill that attaches Riau to the Indonesian Republic. Raja noted that the idea of the royalty to be paid to the provincial government is not found in the bill, and Riau is determined that it receive payments.
According to Aziz, oil and gas mining in the region has only benefited the central government, while the only thing Riau has received is the great potential for environmental damage.
Aziz added that the demand for royalty be submitted along with East Kalimantan and Aceh independence demands, both of which are resource rich but heavily exploited territories by the Java-based administration.
He pointed out that the demand for royalty would not be limited to oil and gas, but also to non-oil/gas mining activities.
Justifying the demand, he accused the central government of exploiting Riau’s natural resources without paying any heed to environmental damage.
Citing an example, the deputy governor referred to tin mining in Singkep Island in Riau Islands district.
"After the tin deposit has been exhausted, the island will be abandoned in total damage," Aziz observed.
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