Bus drivers on strike

SEMARANG, Central Java: The military said that no third party was behind the strike involving hundreds of inter-city bus drivers plying the Semarang-Surakarta route early this week.

Commander of the Diponegoro Regional Military Command, Maj. Gen. Suyono said the strike was not linked to the one going on in Jakarta this week.

The drivers went on strike in protest against the way the local authorities issue transport permits they considered "unfair" and "not transparent."

Local security authorities, however, remain vigilant of a possible larger scale strike. "We will not hesitate to punish any drivers who go on massive strikes like that in Jakarta," he said as quoted by Antara. (pan)