Govt attempt to appease fails to stem angry protests
Govt attempt to appease fails to stem angry protests
Kurniawan Hari and Zakki Hakim, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Thousands of people throughout the country took to the streets
seeking the cancellation of utility price hikes on Thursday
despite a decision by the government to delay the increase in
telephone charges.
The protesters, whose numbers were far below those of
Wednesday, demanded the government annul the hike in electricity
charges and restore the fuel subsidy.
Nearly 700 activists grouped in the Women's Opposition
Association (Asosiasi Perempuan Menggugat) marched from the Hotel
Indonesia traffic circle to Merdeka Palace on Thursday night,
calling on the government to cancel utility price hikes as they
were excessively burdensome on the public.
The protesters carried candles and posters with messages
urging President Megawati to reverse her administration's
decision to raise telephone and electricity charges, and remove
fuel subsidies on Jan. 1, 2003.
Earlier in the day, hundreds of protesters staged rallies in
front of the State Palace. The protesters, mostly students, also
demanded that government annul utility price hikes instead of
delaying them.
"Mega oppresses the people! Cut all prices!" yelled the
protesters.
According to the student protesters, the government should
scrap all tariff increases and arrest the business tycoons who
owe billions of U.S. dollars to the state.
"The delay in the telephone charge hike is not enough. All
prices must be cut!" one protester said.
Dozens of high school students belonging to Indonesian United
Islamic High School Students Action (KAPII) also staged a street
rally to pressure the government to reverse its decision.
"We don't want to be the slaves of foreign countries!" said
the students, carrying banners reading: "We need welfare, not
postponements."
Dozens of Megawati's supporters also staged a rally endorsing
the price increases but they disappeared shortly after they
realized that they were greatly outnumbered by anti-price hike
protesters.
In Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi, protesters occupied the PT
Telkom offices there and forced Telkom technicians to cut
telephone services in the city for five minutes.
Company official La Ode Budidaya told Antara on Thursday that
the cut, which took place from 1:30 p.m. through 1:35 p.m., had
caused tens of millions of rupiah in state losses.
The protesters, who marched from the Kendari-based Holuoleo
University, also planned to force state-owned electricity company
PT PLN to cut its services for two hours, but called it off after
learning that the body of a dead official was laid out in the PLN
offices.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian Employers' Association (Apindo) in
East Kalimantan threatened not to pay tax should the government
not reverse its decision to increase electricity charges and fuel
prices.
Apindo chairman Gunawan Ariwibowo said on Thursday that the
association would wait until February before acting on its
threat.
Association members and labor activists in Samarinda have been
staging protests for the last couple of days. "The increases in
fuel prices and electricity charges have driven production costs
up by as much as 20 percent," Gunawan added,
In the troubled province of Aceh, student protesters staged a
rally outside the state electricity firm PT PLN, protesting the
utility price hike.
They said the leadership of Megawati and Vice President Hamzah
Haz did not benefit the ordinary people. The protesters also
urged the government to detain embezzlers and seize their assets
for the benefit of the people.
Meanwhile, hundreds of businesspeople and workers jointly
staged a protest outside the Central Kalimantan provincial
legislature in Palangkaraya.
The protesters urged all members of the People's Consultative
Assembly (MPR) and House of Representatives (DPR) from the
province to fight for a delay in the utility price hikes.
They vowed to continue their protest until their demands were
met.
Similar protests also took place in Makassar, South Sulawesi,
and Mataram in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB).
Kurniawan Hari and Zakki Hakim, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Thousands of people throughout the country took to the streets
seeking the cancellation of utility price hikes on Thursday
despite a decision by the government to delay the increase in
telephone charges.
The protesters, whose numbers were far below those of
Wednesday, demanded the government annul the hike in electricity
charges and restore the fuel subsidy.
Nearly 700 activists grouped in the Women's Opposition
Association (Asosiasi Perempuan Menggugat) marched from the Hotel
Indonesia traffic circle to Merdeka Palace on Thursday night,
calling on the government to cancel utility price hikes as they
were excessively burdensome on the public.
The protesters carried candles and posters with messages
urging President Megawati to reverse her administration's
decision to raise telephone and electricity charges, and remove
fuel subsidies on Jan. 1, 2003.
Earlier in the day, hundreds of protesters staged rallies in
front of the State Palace. The protesters, mostly students, also
demanded that government annul utility price hikes instead of
delaying them.
"Mega oppresses the people! Cut all prices!" yelled the
protesters.
According to the student protesters, the government should
scrap all tariff increases and arrest the business tycoons who
owe billions of U.S. dollars to the state.
"The delay in the telephone charge hike is not enough. All
prices must be cut!" one protester said.
Dozens of high school students belonging to Indonesian United
Islamic High School Students Action (KAPII) also staged a street
rally to pressure the government to reverse its decision.
"We don't want to be the slaves of foreign countries!" said
the students, carrying banners reading: "We need welfare, not
postponements."
Dozens of Megawati's supporters also staged a rally endorsing
the price increases but they disappeared shortly after they
realized that they were greatly outnumbered by anti-price hike
protesters.
In Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi, protesters occupied the PT
Telkom offices there and forced Telkom technicians to cut
telephone services in the city for five minutes.
Company official La Ode Budidaya told Antara on Thursday that
the cut, which took place from 1:30 p.m. through 1:35 p.m., had
caused tens of millions of rupiah in state losses.
The protesters, who marched from the Kendari-based Holuoleo
University, also planned to force state-owned electricity company
PT PLN to cut its services for two hours, but called it off after
learning that the body of a dead official was laid out in the PLN
offices.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian Employers' Association (Apindo) in
East Kalimantan threatened not to pay tax should the government
not reverse its decision to increase electricity charges and fuel
prices.
Apindo chairman Gunawan Ariwibowo said on Thursday that the
association would wait until February before acting on its
threat.
Association members and labor activists in Samarinda have been
staging protests for the last couple of days. "The increases in
fuel prices and electricity charges have driven production costs
up by as much as 20 percent," Gunawan added,
In the troubled province of Aceh, student protesters staged a
rally outside the state electricity firm PT PLN, protesting the
utility price hike.
They said the leadership of Megawati and Vice President Hamzah
Haz did not benefit the ordinary people. The protesters also
urged the government to detain embezzlers and seize their assets
for the benefit of the people.
Meanwhile, hundreds of businesspeople and workers jointly
staged a protest outside the Central Kalimantan provincial
legislature in Palangkaraya.
The protesters urged all members of the People's Consultative
Assembly (MPR) and House of Representatives (DPR) from the
province to fight for a delay in the utility price hikes.
They vowed to continue their protest until their demands were
met.
Similar protests also took place in Makassar, South Sulawesi,
and Mataram in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB).