Military stymies labor union rally
Military stymies labor union rally
JAKARTA (JP): The military foiled yesterday the Indonesian
Prosperous Labor Union's (SBSI) plan to stage a demonstration at
the House of Representatives.
About 100 heavily armed troopers were sent to the SBSI
headquarters on Jl. Tebet Barat Dalam Raya in South Jakarta to
block the path of 200 demonstrators who were planning to lead the
protest.
The union leaders agreed not to force their way out and risk a
clash but decided to stay in the area, creating a standoff with
the military.
"Actually, we are not afraid of being shot at. We will
probably disperse the crowd this evening but we will come back
with a new strategy," Netty Saragih, the deputy chairperson of
the union's legal aid department said yesterday.
SBSI called the demonstration to press its demand for the
resignation of President B.J. Habibie and his replacement with a
transitional president until a general election.
The union had originally hoped for a crowd of 2,000.
Over the last few days Jakarta Military Commander Maj. Gen.
Sjafrie Sjamsuddin repeatedly warned that his forces would clamp
down hard on labor protests that were politically motivated.
During the negotiations between SBSI leaders and South Jakarta
district military chief Lt. Col. Ibrahim Saleh, the union
promised that their demonstration would be peaceful and that the
military could provide the necessary escort.
Ibrahim told them that he was under orders not to allow the
protest to proceed.
He told reporters later that the union had not written to any
of the House factions asking for a meeting.
"This is against the procedures," he said, adding that his
troops would remain in the area until the crowd dispersed.
SBSI chairman Muchtar Pakpahan was not in town. His staff said
he had left for towns in Central and East Java to consolidate the
union's branches.
The gathering in Tebet did not disturb activities in the area
with offices remaining open and street hawkers and food sellers
flocking the area. A nearby McDonald's outlet was the only shop
that closed.
Tohap Simanungkalit, chairman of SBSI's Jakarta chapter, told
a media conference in the afternoon that the union would press
ahead with its demand for a new government.
He defended the union's involvement in politics, saying that
the current political system was to blame for the economic chaos
that is hurting workers.
"Once the political system is strengthened, we can return to
our original function as a workers' union," he said.
More than 300,000 of SBSI's 500,000 members have lost their
jobs since the crisis began, Tohap said.
"How can they get money for food? Who can guarantee that the
laid-off workers will not run riot and loot everything? Who can
guarantee that they would not be provoked to do so?"
SBSI, he said, is campaigning for the convening of a special
session of the People's Consultative Assembly to form a
transitional government that is free of corruption, collusion and
nepotism.
He also demanded that the government apologize to the victims
of the political repression of former president Soeharto's
government.
He cited injustices that occurred in various parts of the
country during Soeharto's time in power.
The government should erect monuments at each of these places
to honor and respect the victims, he said. (ivy)