Minor rallies mark fuel price hike<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The first day of the fuel price hike passed
\nwithout major public upheaval on Sunday, despite a few protests
\nin Jakarta and Bandung, and rumors of bigger demonstrations in
\nother towns.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, about 1,000 people from several labor unions
\nprotested in front of the Presidential Palace demanding that the
\ngovernment cancel the fuel price increase.<\/p>\n
Protesters came from, among other groups, the National Front
\nfor Indonesian Workers Struggle (FNPBI), the Reformed All
\nIndonesian Workers Union (SPSI Reformasi), the Indonesian
\nProsperous Labors Union (SBSI), and the Confederation of
\nIndonesian Labor Unions (Gaspermindo).<\/p>\n
Jakarta Police declared on Saturday an Alert One status for
\nthe capital. As many as 18,000 police personnel were placed on
\nalert until Tuesday to anticipate possible disturbances.<\/p>\n
No problems occurred in the South Sulawesi capital of Makassar
\non Sunday after eighteen students of the Makassar State
\nUniversity were arrested on Saturday for hijacking three gasoline
\ntank trucks loaded with fuel.<\/p>\n
In Medan, North Sumatra, students' plans to hold a huge
\ndemonstration on Sunday turned out to be an empty threat.<\/p>\n
But on Saturday, students there did set a gasoline station on
\nfire. No one was arrested in the incident and no fatalities were
\nreported.<\/p>\n
Semarang was also quiet with no lines of motorists waiting to
\nbuy gasoline.<\/p>\n
In Bandung dozens of students grouped in New Alliance for
\nDemocracy protested the increase in fuel price by an average of
\n12 percent. The non-violent action was filled with orations,
\ncalling for people to be aware of the government's mistake.<\/p>\n
In Yogyakarta, everything was also under control.<\/p>\n
As approved by the House of Representatives in February, the
\nprice of premium gasoline is now Rp 1,150 or Rp 150 higher than
\nbefore. Diesel fuel now costs Rp 600 per liter, while the old
\nprice was Rp 550; kerosene is now Rp 350, or Rp 70 higher than
\nbefore; while bunker oil rose to Rp 400 from Rp 350.<\/p>\n
Ramli Djaffar, spokesman for the Jakarta office of the state
\noil and gas company Pertamina, told The Jakarta Post the demand
\nfor gasoline, especially Premium gasoline and automotive diesel
\nfuel in Jakarta had increased in the past week.<\/p>\n
\"Premium gasoline demand increased 29 percent, while diesel
\nfuel increased 43 percent. But we anticipated by preparing
\ngasoline stocks for the next 23 days and kerosene stocks for the
\nnext 25 days,\" Ramli said.<\/p>\n
Pertamina has prepared the monthly stocks for the capital of
\n7,600 kiloliters of gasoline, consisting of premium gasoline,
\nautomotive diesel fuel, kerosene and bunker oil.<\/p>\n
\"If there is any delay in the distribution, it is not because
\nwe are out of supplies but simply because we have only one
\nstation in Plumpang, North Jakarta to distribute fuel for the
\nwhole city,\" Ramli said.<\/p>\n
The protests<\/p>\n
The Jakarta protesters threatened on Sunday to stage massive
\nand continuing rallies if the government refused to cancel the
\nprice increases.<\/p>\n
\"It's impossible for us to make the government call off the
\npolicy through discussions. That's why we have to go to the
\nstreets,\" FNPBI coordinator Dita Indah Sari said in her oration.<\/p>\n
\"If the government still refuses to cancel the new policy, we
\nwill continue to stage rallies tomorrow, the day after tomorrow,
\nand so on,\" Dita said.<\/p>\n
In Makassar, students and public transport drivers threatened
\nto stage huge protests on Monday.<\/p>\n
\"The students want the government to delay the policy, while
\nthe drivers want the local administration to allow them to
\nincrease fares,\" a student, who wanted anonymity, said on
\nSaturday.<\/p>\n
Makassar students have shown persistence by staging at three
\nsequential rallies. The provincial legislative council also
\nexpressed disagreement with the fuel price hikes.<\/p>\n
Bandung students vowed to continue protesting should the
\ngovernment fail to delay or cancel the policy.<\/p>\n
Jakarta demonstrators also demanded wages to be raised by 100
\npercent saying that it had become more and more difficult for
\nlaborers to buy daily needs with their current minimum wage of Rp
\n344,500 per month in the Jakarta area.<\/p>\n
Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Alhilal Hamdi who met
\nwith the protesters in front of the presidential palace said that
\nthe fuel hike was appropriate.<\/p>\n
\"Seventy percent of the government's fuel subsidy went to
\nthose who do not need it, such as those who own expensive cars,
\nwhile only 30 percent of the subsidy went to the poor,\" Alhilal
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Alhilal said that postponing the policy, initially slated for
\nApril, cost the government Rp 41.3 trillion instead of Rp 22.4
\ntrillion to subsidize the fuel.<\/p>\n
\"We will continue to protest. We will stage a massive rally
\nall over the country on October 10,\" labor activist and SBSI
\nchairman Mochtar Pakpahan said.<\/p>\n
The rally ended peacefully after Alhilal left the site.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung
\nurged the government to actively report the findings of the
\ngovernment's price control team in a bid to avoid the fuel price
\nhikes affecting other goods and services.<\/p>\n
\"The government must actively talk to businessmen and people.
\nWe also urged them not to take advantage of the situation by
\nraising other prices such as for staples,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"We (the House) are informed by the government that the
\nallowed price increase is no more than three percent,\" Akbar said
\nafter commemorating the National Tragedy due to the Betrayal of
\nPancasila on Sunday morning. (team)<\/p>",
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