Group wants action against corruptions

Group wants action against corruptions

JAKARTA (JP): Dozens of activists from several organizations,
including Humanika, Pijar and Moslem Students Organization (HMI),
demanded the government seize corruptors' wealth in a protest in
front of the Attorney General's Office on Friday.

"The (current) government faces financial difficulties and is
forced to lift subsidies from cooking oil and flour, which have
caused many people to suffer. Why don't we just seize the
corruptors' wealth and allocate it for the interest of all,"
coordinator of the group Andrianto said outside the compound in
South Jakarta.

The group also demanded complete investigations of bankers
allegedly involved in credit scams which caused the government to
suffer estimated losses of Rp 150 trillion.

Officials of the Attorney General's Office prevented the
protesters from entering the compound. They were allowed to hold
a free-speech forum in front of the office's gate.

The one-hour protest continued with a march to the House of
Representatives in Central Jakarta, about 10 kilometers away.

Although many pedestrians along busy Jl. Jend. Sudirman
watched the marchers, there was no traffic congestion because
police had cleared the slow lane for the protesters.

When the demonstrators arrived at the House of
Representatives' compound, they stood in front of the House's
gate under the watchful eyes of police.

They unfurled banners bearing caricatures of former president
Soeharto and bankers.

"We're not planning to meet any House members, but we hope
that during our street rally people will read and hear our
messages that our reform struggle has not finished yet,"
Andrianto said. (emf)