Students demand government to transfer CPP operation to Riau

Dozens of students grouped in the federation of Riau students staged protests in Jakarta on Wednesday demanding the government to soon transfer the authority to operate and manage the Coastal Plain Pekanbaru (CPP) to the provincial administration.

The students staged their protests in front of several oil related offices such as the Caltex Pacific Indonesia (CPP), the ministry of mines and energy and the headquarter of the state oil and gas company Pertamina during the demonstration which lasted from 10 o'clock in the morning until at four in the evening.

They also demanded Pertamina to build a fuel distribution center in Riau, Riau Pos reported.

The students said that the province, which is the largest oil producer in the country, deserved to have its own fuel depot. A new fuel depot should be soon built in the province, which at present relies on fuel supply form the state oil and gas Pertamina's fuel depot in Medan for its local use, the students said.

Meanwhile Riau governor H. Saleh Djasit said in Pekanbaru on Wednesday that the Riau students' demonstration reflected the aspirations of the whole people in the province. But he denied that his office had sponsored the demonstration.

"They just want to express the aspiration of the Riau people," he said in a reference to the students' rallies. (*)