Groups protest fuel price hike

Two separate protest marches, organized by members of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) and several universities in Jakarta respectively, converged on the House of Representatives (DPR) in the Senayan area, Central Jakarta, on Friday, causing traffic congestion along Jl. Gatot Subroto.

The 2,000 protesters opposed the hike in fuel prices and demanded the government fight corruption.

During the rally, students burned an effigy of House Speaker Akbar Tandjung as a "show of support for a full legal investigation into the 1999 Bulog scandal", and called on Akbar to resign from his post.

The protesters condemned corruption, which they claimed to be the cause of the price hike.

Ten FPI representatives were later received by House Commission VIII, overseeing mining and energy, to deliver their objection.

Tubagus Hasanuddin Al-bantani, FPI coordinator, said the organization condemned the government as it had failed to fight corruption and caused public misery.

Student Coordinator Wisnu Sunandar, of the University of Indonesia (UI), said that students had failed to hold a mass protest prior to the price hike because they were still on holiday.

He said students would launch another protest on the issue on Monday.

Prior to the rally, students had gathered at the UI School of Medicine on Jl. Salemba, Central Jakarta. Some of them burned used car tires in front of nearby private-university YAI on Jl. Diponegoro. The police quickly put out the fire.

Earlier on Friday, about 400 women staged a rally at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle (photo above) protesting the hike in fuel prices. They later marched to the office of the Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare on Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat. -- JP