Anti-govt protests continue into second week<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Violence erupted again on Monday as thousands of people embarked
\non a second week of protests nationwide against the steep rises
\nin fuel prices, and electricity and telephone charges.<\/p>\n
However, most of the street rallies proceeded peacefully
\nacross the country.<\/p>\n
At least three students were injured in a clash between around
\n50 demonstrating students and police in the nation's second
\nbiggest city of Surabaya, East Java.<\/p>\n
The scuffle broke out when the police blocked the protesters
\nfrom trying to occupy the North Surabaya office of state-owned
\nelectricity company PT PLN on Jl. Gemblongan.<\/p>\n
The three students sustained head, stomach and leg injuries
\nafter being beaten and kicked by baton-wielding officers, who had
\nearlier fired warning shots in the air to break up the noisy
\nprotest.<\/p>\n
The victims were rushed to the Dr. Soetomo general hospital
\nfor treatment.<\/p>\n
Surabaya Police chief Sr. Comr. Itho Sumardi accused the
\nprotesters, led by the Democratic People's Party (PRD), of trying
\nto stir anarchy by attempting to occupy the PLN building.<\/p>\n
\"We will not tolerate any rally in which the protesters
\nattempt to damage public facilities,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the East Java Confederation of All-Indonesian Trade
\nUnions (K-SPSI) vowed on Monday to deploy some 25,000 members for
\na huge rally on Tuesday to increase the pressure on the
\ngovernment to reverse the price hikes.<\/p>\n
In the Central Java capital of Semarang, two of six students
\nfrom the Semarang State University (Unnes), who had been staging
\na hunger strike in protest against the increases, were brought to
\nElizabeth Hospital due to their worsening condition.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, the two students continued to refuse to eat,
\nsaying they would not end the hunger strike until the government
\nannulled the price hikes.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, hundreds of demonstrators staged separate rallies
\noutside the presidential offices, at the Hotel Indonesia traffic
\ncircle, the House of Representatives, and the office of state-
\nowned telecommunications firm PT Indosat.<\/p>\n
Similar demonstrations hit Makassar in South Sulawesi, and
\nMedan in North Sumatra, where thousands of students, workers and
\nother groups urged the central government to heed their demands.<\/p>\n
Around 3,000 protesters in Makassar vowed that they would not
\nallow President Megawati Soekarnoputri to visit South Sulawesi in
\nthe future, calling for a vote of no-confidence against her.<\/p>\n
During the noisy rally, the demonstrators again hijacked fuel
\ntrucks belonging to state-owned oil and gas company PT Pertamina.
\nHowever, they let them go later.<\/p>\n
In Bandung, West Java, some 1,000 students and workers
\npicketed the provincial legislative council and the West Java
\ngovernor's office. No violence was reported, however.<\/p>\n
In Manado, some 30 students from the Indonesian Muslim Student
\nMovement (PMII) and other groups staged a peaceful anti-price
\nhike rally.<\/p>\n
Despite the mounting public opposition, the government has
\nrefused to bow to the protesters' demands to cancel the rises.<\/p>\n
On Sunday, Megawati defended the policy, saying it would help
\nthe economy in the long run.<\/p>\n
She said the subsidies only benefited the middle and upper-
\nincome brackets, but not the poor.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/anti-govt-protests-continue-into-second-week-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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