Groups protest fuel price hike

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