Thousands protests planned fuel hikes<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Thousands of people took to the streets to protest the
\ngovernment's plan to raise fuel prices on Oct. 1 to ease the
\nstate's burden of paying for a mushrooming fuel subsidy due to
\nhigher global oil prices.<\/p>\n
The plan, announced on Friday, fell short of specifying the
\namount that fuel prices would be raised, but it was emphasized
\nthat it would be implemented simultaneously with a low-income
\nassistance program designed to ease the impact on the country's
\nmillions of impoverished citizens.<\/p>\n
Vice President Jusuf Kalla met former vice president Try
\nSutrisno in a closed-door meeting on Saturday in which they
\nreportedly discussed the government's fuel policies, as well as
\nthe recent peace deal with the Free Aceh Movement.<\/p>\n
\"The most important thing is that we as a large nation should
\nkeep everyone informed about what is going on. Criticizing is
\nfine, the government should be open to criticism and constructive
\nadvice. We shouldn't make unnecessary moves that will obstruct
\nthe nation's journey,\" Try was quoted by Antara as saying after
\nthe meeting.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, several ex-leaders, including Try, former
\npresidents Megawati Soekarnoputri and Abdurrahman \"Gus Dur\"
\nWahid, urged the government to drop its plan to increase fuel
\nprices.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta on Sunday, thousands of people from the Islamic
\nHizbut Tahrir group, the Alliance of Independent Labor Unions and
\nseveral women's groups protested the plan, urging the government
\nto take other steps to pay for the subsidies without increasing
\nfuel prices and making poor people suffer more.<\/p>\n
A representative of Hizbut Tahrir, Ismail Yusanto, told AFP
\nthat the government should confiscate the assets of corrupt
\nofficials to help pay for the fuel subsidy.<\/p>\n
In the East Nusa Tenggara capital of Kupang, protesting
\nstudents on Saturday were joined by hundreds of residents, who
\nwere standing in long lines to buy kerosene.<\/p>\n
Even though the students were being closely monitored by
\nsecurity personnel, they managed to seize control of the state
\nradio station RRI and read their three-page demands live on air
\nfor 15 minutes. The students called on the government to cancel
\nthe fuel plan, as they claimed it would directly affect food
\nprices.<\/p>\n
\"The demands are for the sake of the people, so RRI in Kupang
\nfelt obligated to air them live,\" said the station chief, Pieter
\nAmalo.<\/p>\n
Long lines of vehicles waiting for rationed gasoline were
\nspotted in many cities, with the worst lines reaching up to five
\nkilometers long into two gas stations in the Padang Luar area in
\nthe West Sumatra town of Bukittinggi on Saturday.<\/p>\n
The fuel shortage also severely hampered public transportation
\nvehicles from Pekanbaru to Padang on Saturday, after at least 10
\nfilling stations along the 300-kilometer route had begun running
\nlow on gasoline.<\/p>\n
Fuel shortages at dozens of gas stations in Pekanbaru prompted
\nupset residents to urge the government to immediately raise fuel
\nprices to prevent retailers from hoarding fuel in seek of much
\nmore profits from selling gasoline at higher prices next week.<\/p>\n
\"The government should not wait any longer to raise the fuel
\nprices, because the uncertain situation only makes the poor
\nsuffer more,\" a driver, Apeng, told Antara on Sunday.<\/p>\n
He said it was no use to keep the current prices if the supply
\nwas not available. \"It's better for the government to raise the
\nprices and ensure the availability of the supply,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/thousands-protests-planned-fuel-hikes-1447893297",
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