Hindus threaten massive strike<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A Balinese activist who coordinated this week's
\nseries of protests against a cabinet minister on Bali said on
\nSaturday that he planned to call a general strike among all
\nHindus in Indonesia unless their demands were met.<\/p>\n
I Nyoman Japa, field coordinator of the protests, said the
\ngovernment had one month to respond to their demands which
\ninclude the resignation of the minister concerned and his
\nprosecution.<\/p>\n
\"If not, all Hindus throughout Indonesia will escalate their
\nactions. A call for a general strike will also be considered,\"
\nJapa was quoted by Antara as saying in Denpasar, capital of Bali.<\/p>\n
Predominantly Hindu Bali has been rocked by protests against
\nState Minister of Food and Horticulture A.M. Saefuddin for
\nremarks considered contemptuous of their religion.<\/p>\n
In his remarks on next year's presidential election, Saefuddin
\nof the minority United Development Party (PPP) said that he would
\nmake a better presidential candidate than Megawati Soekarnoputri
\nof the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) Perjuangan.<\/p>\n
Contending that Megawati was a Hindu, he questioned whether
\npredominantly Moslem Indonesia would accept a non-Moslem
\npresident.<\/p>\n
Megawati, who is a Moslem, has not responded to the challenge,
\nbut thousands of Hindu Balinese in Bali and elsewhere in the
\ncountry have publicly condemned Saefuddin's remarks.<\/p>\n
They consider Saefuddin's apology, made last week, as
\ninsufficient, and have demanded that he retract the remark and
\nmake an open apology to all Hindus.<\/p>\n
Joining the fray of protests on Saturday were employees of
\nseven luxury hotels from the Nusa Dua beach resort, who visited
\nthe Bali Governor's Office, appealing to everyone to work toward
\npreserving national unity and to fight against any form of
\ndiscrimination, the news agency said.<\/p>\n
They also appealed for restraint, saying the protests could
\ndisrupt tourism, peace and security, relations between the
\nvarious religious communities on Bali and the island's image as a
\nmajor tourist center.<\/p>\n
Japa said, however, that he had received widespread support
\nfrom local leaders on Bali and Hindu leaders on the island and
\nelsewhere in Indonesia for his plan to call a general strike.<\/p>\n
He said a general strike would not be that different from the
\nHindu's Beratha Penyepian concept which forms the basis of the
\nBalinese's Nyepi (Day of Silence) holiday.<\/p>\n
The concept says that on Nyepi, Hindus must refrain from work,
\ntravel, entertainment and using light or fire.<\/p>\n
\"We just have to set the D Day. Every Hindu in Indonesia is
\njust waiting for the command,\" Japa said, adding that this was
\nconsidered the best form of protest because it was peaceful.<\/p>\n
Japa said his group was organizing massive protests on Bali on
\nWednesday to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the nation's
\nYouth Pledge.<\/p>\n
The pledge of \"One Country, One Nation and One Language:
\nIndonesia\", was made by a group of youths during the Dutch
\ncolonial era in 1928. It became the battle cry for the
\nindependence movement.<\/p>\n
Japa said the protests were not politically motivated and did
\nnot necessarily reflect the Balinese support for Megawati as a
\npresidential candidate. \"Saefuddin has slighted the Hindu
\ncommunity,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Megawati, a daughter of Indonesia's first president Sukarno,
\nwas reelected as chairwoman of the PDI Perjuangan during a
\ncongress on Bali this month. The party also named her as its
\ncandidate for the presidential election scheduled next year.<\/p>\n
A leader of the minority Moslem community on Bali said
\nSaefuddin had crossed the line from politics to religion.<\/p>\n
\"Saefuddin has set off a short circuit, and Hindus have been
\nat the receiving end. It's natural that the Hindu community feels
\nhurt,\" Sunhadji Rafii, the chairman of the Bali chapter of the
\nIndonesian Ulemas Council, was quoted by Antara as saying in
\nDenpasar. (emb)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/hindus-threaten-massive-strike-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}