Kendari crowd rallies for Tomy

KENDARI, Southeast Sulawesi: A crowd of about 100 people rallied outside the Southeast Sulawesi Council on Wednesday, demanding it support local investment plans from Tomy Winata, in an apparent response to anti-Tomy protests by local reporters.

The crowd from the Indonesian Students and Youth Union and the Indonesian Students Axis rallied in support of Tomy's investment plans. Tomy is the owner of the Artha Graha Group.

Citing Tomy's promise to invest Rp 1 trillion (US$112 million) here, they urged councillors to welcome him.

Earlier this month, local reporters held a series of rallies to protest Tomy's investment plans following the thuggery against Tempo offices in Jakarta.

In the incident, a crowd of Tomy supporters assaulted executives of Tempo magazine to protest an article they deemed defamatory.

Kendari reporters said they rejected Tomy's coming for fear that his business would open the province to thuggery. -- Antara