Housewives rally at Monas against price hikes

Housewives (photo above) hit pots and pans during a price hike protest at the National Monument (Monas) park in Central Jakarta on Sunday.

About 200 women grouped in the Women with a Conscience Movement staged the rally on Sunday to protest the increase in utility and fuel prices.

The protesters, who marched from the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle to Monas, attracted hundreds of Jakartans who were exercising in the area.

Businesswoman Dewi Motik, who joined the rally, called on the government to annul the recent increase in utility charges, saying the increases were a further burden to the public in this time of hardship.

"Last week, the government delayed raising phone charges. Similarly, we pray that the government will do the same with the increase in fuel prices and electricity rates," said Dewi Motik.

Amid strong and incessant public protests, the government, through the Ministry of Transportation, announced a delay in the increase of phone rates following consultation with the House of Representatives.

The government has also promised to review the increase of fuel prices and electricity rates.

The Megawati administration has been strongly criticized for raising the prices of utilities and fuel earlier this month.

The increase was blasted by many as an untimely decision amid the prolonged recession. The increase was also controversial as it was hot on the heels of the government's decision to exempt bad debtors from legal charges if they were willing to return some of their debts to the state.

The rally ran peacefully with only a few police officers present to safeguard the rally. -- JP