Labor rally rocks Bandung

Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung

Bandung, the provincial capital of West Java, is still tense following a violent labor rally in which two demonstrators were shot and a police officer was injured.

As of Monday evening, more than 500 protesters remained in front of the provincial legislative council building, voicing their opposition to two labor bills currently being deliberated by the House of Representatives.

"We will remain at the legislature until the government and the House listen to our aspirations," said one demonstrator.

The labor activist who coordinated the rally said workers would stage a major rally in the city on Tuesday to press their demands.

Bandung has been rocked by several violent labor rallies and student demonstrations over the last few years. The demonstrations were held to protest low minimum wages, increases in the price of basic commodities, fuel price increases and hikes in telephone and electricity rates.

The incident on Monday began when the local police deployed hundreds of security officers to disperse more than 3,000 workers who had marched through the city to protest the labor bills.

Traffic in the city came to a virtual standstill, as thousands of protesters converged on Bandung's main thoroughfares.

Some 2,000 workers came from the industrial areas of Leuigadjah, Cimahi, Cimindi, Cijerah and Padalarang. The remaining 1,000 workers came from textile companies in Kopo, Rancekek and Majalaya.

The clash between protesters and security personnel occurred as officers attempted to prevent several activists from urging workers at PT Cibaligo in Cimahi to join the rally.

Syarif Hidayat, 31, and Supardjo, 32, both employees at PT Posulam Indoutama in Cimahi, were shot during the clash. The two were taken to the local police hospital for gunshot wounds to the head and leg respectively.

Priangan Police chief Sr. Comr. Tjetjep Lukman said officers were forced to open fire when the protesters attacked them.

"We had no choice but open fire when several demonstrators attacked security personnel and attempted to take their guns and walkie-talkies," he said.

He cited Hotben, a police officer in command of security personnel assigned to handle the demonstration, who was beaten by a demonstrator with a stick and suffered back injuries.

Tjetjep said security personnel were not prepared to handle the rally because they had not been informed of the demonstration beforehand, as required by law.

"We would have escorted the workers to the legislative building had we been informed beforehand," he said.

Etty Rostiawaty, the coordinator of the Action Committee for Laborer Solidarity, which organized the rally, blamed the police for the violence and urged a thorough investigation of the incident.

She said she had provided the municipal police with prior knowledge of the rally, and that the clash was evidence that the security personnel were unprofessional.

"The main job of the police is to maintain security and to protect the people, not to kill protesters," she said.

She said the workers opposed the two labor bills because they would not protect their rights.

"Under the bill on the settlement of labor disputes, the government would allow striking workers to be tried by the courts. And under the bill on labor development and protection, striking workers are subject to fines of Rp 400 million and four years in prison," she said.

The bill on labor development and protection threatens a fine of Rp 400 million or a four-year jail sentence for striking workers found guilty of using violence during labor actions.