Group claims responsibility for strike

Group claims responsibility for strike

JAKARTA (JP): A group of activists calling itself the People's
Democratic Union (PRD) claimed responsibility yesterday for
mobilizing 12,000 PT Sritex workers to stage a protest last
Monday in Sukoharjo, Central Java.

Ignatius Pranowo, PRD's advocacy coordinator, said at a media
briefing at the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute that the group
supported the Sritex workers in their demand for a wage hike in
line with the government-set minimum wage level.

Police in Sukoharjo said they detained 40 students who took
part in Monday's demonstration. The students, however, were
released on the same day. Sritex's management has denied that its
workers are paid below the minimum wage level.

PRD became known to the public last week when its activists
joined East Timorese youths in breaking into the Dutch and
Russian embassies, demanding a referendum in the former
Portuguese colony. This was the first time that an Indonesian
organization publicly joined in the call for an independent East
Timor state.

The embassy protesters were detained by police for 24 hours of
questioning before they were released.

Ignatius said the whereabouts of some of the protesters after
their release were not known, though it was reported that some of
them had been picked up again by the police. "We've lost contact
with some of them since their release on Saturday," he said.
(imn)