Anti-luxury car rally turns sour

JAKARTA (JP): About 20 people protesting against imported luxury cars clashed with 30 customs officers outside the Directorate General of Customs and Excise in East Jakarta on Wednesday.

The clash was the climax of the protest by the Anti-Luxury Cars Movement (GAMM) which had demanded that the government destroy smuggled 172 luxury cars which have been seized by the customs agency.

The group's leader, M. Syaiful Jihad (above picture), was beaten by the customs officers when trapped behind the gate of the office, which had separated the two sides, after it was brought down. The other protesters fled.

Syaiful, who suffered minor injuries, was handed over to the police which arrived just as the clashes broke out. He was later taken to the Pulogadung police precinct for questioning.

In compliance with the World Trade Organization ruling, the government lifted a ban against imports of luxury cars in 1998. The ban was reimposed in February, but it was lifted again in June. The end of the ban has also led to luxury cars being smuggled into Indonesia to avoid the high import duties.

The protesters asked to meet with Director-general for Customs and Excise Permana Agung to demand follow up actions after the seizure of the smuggled cars.

Besides calling for the cars to be destroyed, they also asked that the smugglers be sentenced to death.

The protesters were mostly students from the Islamic Students Association (HMI) and various other nongovernment organizations. (04)