Riau students again demand government to close CPP oil block

Group of students from Riau again called on the government to shut down the Coastal Plains Pekanbaru (CPP) oil block if the local authority was not given the opportunity to become the operator of the disputed oil block, Riau Pos reported on Thursday.

In a joint statement, the students accused the central government of being arrogant and not sensitive in responding the aspiration of the local people.

The local authority and legislators had also failed to work hard enough in fighting for the interest of the local people, said the statement, which was signed by the leaders of the Riau-based universities including the University of Riau, the Indonesian Islamic Studies Institute, the Unilak Saji, and the president of Riau students in Jakarta.

A delegation of local leaders and students met top officials at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and members of the House of Representatives recently to convey their demand on the need to appoint Riau province as the operator of the oil block. But their demand did not receive a positive response.

Another important delegation led by Riau Governor Saleh Djasit had also met President Abdurrahman Wahid and Vice President Megawati Sukarnoputri to express a similar demand. But again, their request was turned down.

Previously the province demanded a majority stake in a company which would be established in cooperation with state oil company Pertamina to jointly operate the oil block after the current contract (now held by Pt Caltex Pacific Indonesia) expires in August

But the central government instead allows Riau only to have a 20 percent ownership in the planned joint venture.

The local authority, which had no more choice but to receive the decision, said that it would agree to get the 20 percent stake offer as long as the central government appointed it as the day-to-day operator of the oil block. (*)