General public want student rallies to stop

JAKARTA (JP): Members of the general public on Friday urged students to stop their rallies on the capital's streets as their agenda was no longer clear and the daily traffic congestion was reducing many Jakartans' earnings.

The ordinary citizens, including workers, street traders, and bus and taxi drivers, told The Jakarta Post that they strongly supported the students' previous demonstrations which -- among other things -- had pushed former president Soeharto to resign, but that the situation was now very different.

They, therefore, called for an immediate halt to the student demonstration, particularly during the upcoming Muslim fasting month of Ramadhan.

"It's more than enough. We've got bored and tired with their rallies everyday. What are they looking for now except making traffic jams and forcing the security officers to clash with them?" said a female employee who now has to allow three times the usual amount of time to reach her Bekasi home from her West Jakarta office.

Echoing her opinion, Citra taxi driver Subandiyono added that the student demonstrations "really disturb common people like us".

"While we're working, we always get stuck in heavy traffic because of them, so automatically our daily income drops drastically just because of them.

"Sometimes no money can be brought home.

"My wife at home always worries so much about me on the streets as she always sees on the television how people are getting killed so easily during demonstrations," Subandiyono said.

Many other taxi and bus drivers and conductors expressed the same sentiments.

"I hope the students will stop their street demonstrations, especially during Ramadhan, as the impact on other people like me is much greater than the positive results," Subandiyono suggested.

Newspaper vendor Marpu, who operates in front of Gajah Mada Plaza in Central Jakarta, said his daily sales had dropped by more than half from the usual Rp 300,000 (US$39) a day.

"These days, I can only make Rp 180,000 a day as my customers rarely visit my site here since so many roads have been blocked," he said.

According to Marpu, the declining sales of newspapers and magazines had caused problem in his relations with his wife.

"She never believes that the student rallies have resulted in a significant drops in my daily earnings, which are now only between Rp 10,000 and Rp 15,000," he said.

"I first supported the ideas being voiced by the students. But please don't stage rallies everyday," Marpu asked.

According to Parjiman, a guard at the detention room of the Central Jakarta District Court, the students' street protests disturbed people's businesses without giving the country any significant benefits.

"It would be good for the students to find other ways to voice their demands," he said.

Joining the chorus of disapproval, food vendor Sukri said: "Of course my income drops drastically during the student rallies. It's like there are no more safe places in this city."

Flower seller Aini at Karet public cemetery in Central Jakarta encouraged the university students to stop their rallies soon.

"How can they fast during Ramadhan and fight with the security forces at the same time?" she asked.

Businessman Joy Cameron said that the student rallies on the streets nowadays only brought losses to other people.

"To my knowledge, you cannot expect anything good to happen but only cruel things," he said. (jun/ylt/ind)