| Riau Islands raises voice against planned military exercise |
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| World Affairs Talk | |
| Thursday, 24 May 2007 | |
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The Riau Islands are an archipelago in Indonesia, located east of Sumatra and south of Singapore. The province includes islands off the Sumatra coast namely Karimun, Riau, Singkep-Lingga, Anambas and Natuna in the South China Sea. The exercise, which is part of a defense cooperation agreement between Indonesia and Singapore, is planned to be held in Natuna, Bintan and Batam islands of the province though the dates are not specified yet. Riau Islands Governor Ismeth Abdullah earlier agreed to the exercise plan without being informed about the use of heavy military equipments. He said an objection would be delivered to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and the House of Representatives in Jakarta. "We earlier supported the exercise because we were under the impression that it was not going to be dangerous and would involve only light training such as air and sea patrols. Then we learned that war equipment would be used during the exercise," Ismeth said. "We refuse to allow the military exercise to take place in our region, since it will disturb investors and make people feel unsafe. Such an exercise is likely to disrupt business," he said. Originally part of the Riau Province, the Riau Archipelago was split off as a separate province in July 2004 with Tanjung Pinang as its capital. The archipelagos of Anambas and Natuna, located between mainland Malaysia and Borneo were attached to the new province. By population, the most important Riau islands are Bintan, Batam and Karimun. Sizewise, however, the sparsely populated Natuna Islands are larger. The 3,000 islands of the Riau province straddle the Straits of Malacca, one of the oldest and business trading routes in the world. For centuries the islands have provided a safe haven to traders and sailors from Europe, India and China and as a result they have strong foreign historical links. Dispute is present regarding selection of the areas for the exercise. The Governor feels, it's unfair to completely leave out the local administration in determining which areas should be used. The province's officials, legislative council members and community members also plan to approach the House to submit their objections. The central government of Indonesia should pay attention to this issue and figure out a compensation package for the Riau Islands province. Calling off the exercise will mark a black spot in its relation with neighbor Singapore so compromising with the province is the only way out. Governor Ismeth Abdullah and the officials should also acknowledge the central government's authority over defense issues. Share & Bookmark             |
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| Last Updated ( Thursday, 24 May 2007 ) |
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