Video #14 - Indonesia: Riau Autonomy
Tuesday, January 10, 2006BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Riau Province occupies the central part of the eastern region of Sumatera Island, including the archipelagic area which ranges between the Straits of Malacca, the South China Sea and the Straits of Berhala. The province is a strategic region as it directly faces the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, one of the busiest and oldest shipping lanes in the world. The archipelago part of the province is composed of 3,214 islands full of beautiful beaches and traditional fishing villages. These islands provided safe haven to traders and sailors traveling from India to China for centuries and retain the ancient reputation as "crossroads of the world." Today, they cater to tourists with resort style hotels offering everything from golf to a variety of water sports.
Riau played a leading role in the area since it was founded in 1402 by Parameswara as part of the Kingdom of Mallaca. When the Portuguese arrived, wars for control of the Malay states around the Straits began. The conflict was aggravated by the arrival of the Dutch and the British in the early 17th Century. The Treaty of London in 1824 gave the Dutch control of all territories claimed by European countries south of Singapore, partially solving their differences. Nevertheless, although the Dutch further subjugated and dissolved the rebellious Riau Sultanate in 1911, the province's influence remained strong. Pekanbaru, in Sumatra, has been the provincial capital since 1959. Nevertheless, the former capital, Tanjungpinang, on the island of Bintan, continues to be the most important town in the province. Its proximity to Singapore has made it a main business and shopping port, and it promises to be a major center of development.
Natural resources of the area include oil and gas. It is home to Caltex Pacific Indonesia, an American oil concessionaire which, along with other oil companies in the province, accounts for 60 percent of Indonesia's oil production. Plantations in the area harvest rubber, palm oil, coffee, and cocoa. The large forest area produces various types of wood. Other types of mining include bauxite, tin and granite -- helping non-oil exports to increase in the last five years from US$3.5 million in 1995 to US$6.4 million in 1999. (In 1999, electronic components were also included.). The economy of Riau grew nine percent in 2001, not including oil. The population density of Riau is 43 persons per square kilometer, making it the least populated province in Sumatera. Its 4.7 million inhabitants are ethnically diverse. Indonesia's new regional autonomy laws and regulations open the possibility for local taxes, aid, environmental and social equity, as well as investment and development opportunities. As a result, there are calls for making a separate Riau Islands province. A referendum is to determine if the people of the islands indeed want their own province.
H.E. Saleh Djasit, the activist governor of Riau, visited Washington in September of 2001 to promote investment and tourism. In a meeting with USINDO (The United States-Indonesia Society), Djasit described Riau as ready to take advantage of increased income and authority as a result of Indonesia's decentralization policies.
The governor came to the U.S. looking for investors to build railroads, a toll road from the capital to the port city of Dumai, a coal-fired electricity plant, a hydropower plant, factories to process palm oil and chemicals, port facilities in Dumai, and to develop fruit and corn crops and fish farming. The governor also sought investment in waste management, clean water, cement, tourism and hi-tech education.
Before decentralization, only 16 percent of Riau residents were high school graduates and only two percent were college graduates. Forty-two percent of the population was on or below the poverty line. According to Governor Djasit, forty percent of his development budget will go toward eradication of poverty and development of small and medium enterprises, while a third of the province's total will be spent on education and human resource development.
On his U.S. visit, the governor said the province would receive 15 percent of oil revenue, 30 percent of gas revenues, 18 percent of forest and 16 percent of fishing revenues. These allocations are still controlled by the central government and determined by Bappenas, the central economic planning organization. However, locals claim that their oil-rich province generates 20 percent of Indonesia's wealth, and therefore, it should get a greater share. As a result, decentralization may not stop a growing independence movement in Riau.
SOURCES
"Riau." Central Board of Statistik, Riau Province, Regional Investment Coordinating Board, 2001.
"Riau: History." www.indonesia-tourism.com, September 12, 2002.
"Indonesian Regional Autonomy News." InfoProda Research, September 11, 2002.
"A View from the Provinces: Riau with H.S. Saeh Djasit, Governor of Riau Province September 18, 2001, Washington D.C.." USINDO, September 18, 2001.
Tedjasukmana, Jason, "A fair Share of the Spoils." Time, 2002. www.timeasia.com.
LESSON PLAN
GRADE LEVEL/SUBJECT:
10-12 grade Economics, International Relations, World History, Geography, International Baccalaureate Programs (IB), Current Events.
PURPOSE:
To present activities to be used in a variety of classroom situations in order to enhance student understanding of the Riau economy and its significance globally.
OBJECTIVES:
Students will be able to:
- Locate Riau Province on a map of Indonesia.
- Locate Indonesia on a map of Asia.
- Describe the economic and political history of the Riau Province.
- Describe the new decentralization laws in Indonesia.
- Evaluate the effect of decentralization on the politics and the economy of the Riau Province.
MATERIALS:
- Background information provided.
- Resources on Riau Province available at your school's Media Center and the Public Library System in your area.
- Background information available through Internet search engines.
- www.riauprovince.com
ACTIVITIES:
May be assigned as group activities or as individual tasks. They may also be designed as preparation for related presentations either by individuals or groups.
- Illustrate Indonesia and the Riau Province on a map of Asia.
- Create a time line of significant historical events in the Riau Province of Indonesia.
- Use charts and graphs to illustrate the economy of the area.
- Write an editorial about Indonesia's decentralization laws and their effect on the Riau Province.
- Hold a panel discussion role playing community leaders in the Riau Province discussing the future of the province.
EVALUATION:
Individual assignments should be graded by the teacher using established criteria.
Group activities, presentations and projects may be evaluated by teachers and students using the following criteria and scale: Content 1 = Superior (A) Creativity 2 = Excellent (B) Clarity 3 = Good (C) 4 = Fair (D) 5 = Poor (F)
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