Antiwar rallies tempered with pleas for peac<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A rally calling for peace by hundreds of students in Jakarta
\non Friday was in marked contrast to a number of other rowdier
\nrallies around the country against the United States-led attack
\non Iraq.<\/p>\n
More than 1,000 high school and university students staged a
\nsolemn protest in front of the Al Azhar Mosque on Jl. Pattimura,
\nSouth Jakarta. The demonstration was highlighted by the release
\nof dozens of white balloons with banners reading \"Peace\", along
\nwith a pair of white doves as a symbol of peace.<\/p>\n
The demonstrators, who came from the Indonesian Al Azhar
\nStudents for Peace (Gempar) group, also performed a street play
\ndepicting the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, which has resulted in
\nmuch suffering and grief.<\/p>\n
The students wore black armbands to express their deep
\nsympathy for the Iraqi people during the rally, which ended with
\na fund raising effort for the victims of the war in Iraq.<\/p>\n
In other towns, the rallies were marked by displays of
\nresentment against the U.S. and its allies, and calls for a
\nboycott of these countries' products. As usual, franchised
\nAmerican fast-food restaurants McDonald's and Kentucky Fried
\nChicken were targeted by the protesters.<\/p>\n
In the Central Java capital of Semarang, nearly 200 students
\ntook to the streets in front of a local McDonald's outlet in the
\nCiputra Mall in Simpang Lima to call for a boycott of U.S.
\nproducts.<\/p>\n
Some employees of the restaurant distributed fliers explaining
\nthat the American franchise restaurant employed Indonesians and
\nuses domestic products as the raw materials for its products. But
\nthe protesters were unswayed by the fast-food chain's assertion
\nthat its local outlets have benefited Indonesians, and
\nimmediately threw the fliers away.<\/p>\n
\"The products sold by places like McDonald's all benefit U.S.
\ninterests,\" the protesters shouted.<\/p>\n
They argued that every cent of profit realized by the sale of
\nthese products would be used to finance the U.S.-led attack on
\nIraq.<\/p>\n
In Serang square in Banten, over 1,000 protesters from a
\nnumber of Islamic political parties and mass organizations urged
\nthe public to stop consuming U.S. beverages and foodstuffs.<\/p>\n
\"Purchasing U.S. products means providing support for the U.S.
\nin its attack on the Iraqi people,\" a protester shouted.<\/p>\n
Similar calls to boycott U.S. products were also heard in
\nseveral other cities, including Bandar Lampung, Yogyakarta and
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
Muhammad Afifudin, who led a large rally by students from the
\nSyarif Hidayatullah Islamic University in front of the McDonald's
\noutlet at the Sarinah building in Central Jakarta, said the main
\nobjective of the rally was to stop the war.<\/p>\n
\"The call for a boycott is only one of the strategic efforts
\nwe will be undertaking.\" he told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Afifudin failed to comment, however, on the possibility that
\nsuch a boycott could backfire on Indonesian businesses that were
\nmostly owned by Indonesian people and employed mainly
\nIndonesians.<\/p>\n
Despite the rowdy rallies across the country, the U.S.
\ngovernment announced on Friday it would reopen its Surabaya
\nConsulate General for services to the public on Monday.<\/p>\n
All services will be by prior appointment, and the public
\nshould phone the consulate to request an appointment before
\narriving at the consulate building, the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta
\nsaid in a statement.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the immigration office said there had been no
\nexodus of expatriates from the country so far, despite the wave
\nof protests against the U.S.-led attack on Iraq.<\/p>\n
Immigration spokesman Ade Endang Dahlan said on Friday that
\nafter a week of military action in Iraq, the number of overseas
\ncitizens arriving in and departing from the country was normal.<\/p>\n
Ade was referring to the results of a survey on the inflow and
\noutflow of non-nationals through Soekarno-Hatta Airport in
\nJakarta and Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar, Bali.<\/p>\n
\"According to the figures we have obtained from the two
\nairports, there has been no significant rise in the number of
\nforeigners leaving or coming into Indonesia,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Quoting the figures, he disclosed that between March 19 and
\nMarch 26, some 8,095 foreign citizens entered and 8,157 exited
\nthrough Ngurah Rai Airport.<\/p>\n
A statement by the Oil and Gas Executive Board (BP Migas) also
\nrevealed that there had been no exodus of U.S. expatriates from
\nRiau. It said that a number of non-nationals had left Indonesia
\nfor their \"spring break\" and would return to Riau early in April.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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