Injustice deepens people's disappointment<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto and Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post,
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
Middle-income earners have joined the growing chorus complaining
\nabout the government's unpopular move to simultaneously increase
\nfuel prices, electricity and telephone rates.<\/p>\n
However, the price hikes are not their main concern despite it
\nmeaning a higher cost of living. Many said it was the state
\nofficials' lack of sensitivity toward people's plight that had
\nhurt their sense of justice.<\/p>\n
They blasted the government's insensitivity toward the
\npeople's suffering by issuing a series of controversial policies,
\nincluding raising utility prices to cover the budget deficit,
\nwhile at the same time releasing a number of big debtors from
\ncriminal charges.<\/p>\n
"If they were sensitive to people's feelings, why do they make
\nregulations that add to people's misery. These state officials
\nwill not be affected by the price hikes because they don't have
\nto pay them," Monika Irawati, a manager at a private company in
\nEast Jakarta, told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
The government increased telephone rates by about 15 percent
\nand electricity by 6 percent on Jan. 1. A day later, the
\ngovernment shored up fuel prices by 22 percent.<\/p>\n
The increases have sparked demonstrations in major cities
\nacross the country, and some demonstrators are urging President
\nMegawati Soekarnoputri and Vice President Hamzah Haz to step
\ndown.<\/p>\n
Chadijah Mastura, 26, who works at a TV production house in
\nJakarta, said he was especially upset over increases in the
\nelectricity and telephone rates as they cover up the
\n"inefficiencies" at state-owned electricity firm PT Perusahaan
\nListrik Negara (PLN) and telecommunications firm PT
\nTelekomunikasi Indonesia (Telkom).<\/p>\n
"It is not fair to burden those who are already suffering from
\nthe increases in electricity and telephone charges, because of
\ninefficiencies at these companies."<\/p>\n
Apprehension also came from a civil servant, Tusy A. Adibroto,
\nan official at a government agency on Jl. Thamrin, Central
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
Tusy said that although she held a good position, the rate
\nincreases would affect her as her salary had not risen enough to
\ncover the jump in her expenses.<\/p>\n
Supporting those arguments, Centre for Strategic and
\nInternational Studies (CSIS) economist Pande Raja Silalahi said
\nthe government should not have raised telephone rates in the
\nfirst place as PT Telkom had been making a profit over the past
\nfew years.<\/p>\n
"People know that Telkom pockets its profits, so why has the
\ngovernment raised its rates?" Pande asked.<\/p>\n
Therefore, Pande said it was understandable that the policy
\nonly provoked disappointment and protests from people.<\/p>\n
Disappointment on the part of the public is nothing new and it
\nis especially understandable as the burden of the government's
\nunpopular policies are not shared equally by the people,
\naccording to sociologist Paulus Agus Wirutomo from the University
\nof Indonesia (UI).<\/p>\n
The sad fact is that the burden is placed on the majority of
\npeople, while incentives are given to the upper echelons of
\nsociety or businesses that later share them with unscrupulous
\nofficials, he said.<\/p>\n
Those privileged people, especially owners of corporations,
\nare the ones who have put the government in huge debt, which is
\nlater shifted onto people through various utility price hikes, he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The government will exonerate a number of these tycoons from
\ncriminal charges through the release and discharge policy.<\/p>\n
Paulus said the release and discharge policy was one of the
\ngovernment's policies that offends the people's sense of justice.<\/p>\n
"If President Megawati says the rate increases are a bitter
\npill which should be swallowed by the people, they will not
\ncontest them. The problem is that national leaders and tycoons
\nnever have to swallow these bitter pills," said Paulus.<\/p>\n
He called on leaders to be more sensitive both in policy-
\nmaking and their behavior.<\/p>\n
"A lack of sensitivity on the part of the leaders will worsen
\nthe feeling of injustice. It will cause people to become more
\ndisappointed," Paulus told the Post.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/injustice-deepens-peoples-disappointment-1447893297",
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