General public want student rallies to stop

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)