CPI refuses to finanace The Riau People Congress

The organizing committee for the second congress of the Riau people has expressed concern over the refusal of PT Caltex Petroleum Indonesia to help finance the event, which will be held in Pekanbaru soon to discuss a possible separation of the oil riched province from Indonesia.

The committee's chairman Anwar Saleh said it was hard to understand why such a big company like PT CPI could not fulfill its own promise to help finance the congress, the second of such event held by pro-independent groups in the province.

"Their response that the company has never mada such a compromise is quite surprising," Anwar said, adding that an executive of the company had promised the organizer's fund raiser to pay for the consumption costs for the congress participants.

CPI publication and media relations manager Poedyo Oetomo acknowledged that the company had refused to the proposal from the organizer to pay some parts of the cost for the congress. But he denied that the company had promised to make such a contribution.

According to Poedyo, CPI has the policy not to be involved in political activities and this policy has prevented the company from giving any contribution to political parties in the past.(*).