Muslim students object to privatization program

Muslim students object to privatization program

Jakarta Post, West Sumatra

Scores of students from the West Sumatra branch of the
Indonesian Muslim Students Action Front (KAMMI) rallied here on
Friday to protest the privatization of state enterprises and the
presence of some economics ministers.

Antara reported that the students began to gather midmorning
in front of the Jam Gadang Monumen (Bukittinggi's "Big Ben"),
waving banners, protesting the privatization of state enterprises
-- particularly the Indonesian satellite corporation, Indosat,
and the local cement factory, PT Semen Padang.

The rally was organized only 100 meters away from the Bung
Hatta palace, where a dialog, titled "Dialog between the
government, bankers and businesspeople in western Indonesia" was
scheduled to be held on Friday evening.

The dialog will be attended by Bank Indonesia (BI) Governor
Sjahril Sabirin, nine Cabinet ministers under Coordinating
Minister for the Economy Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-Jakti, governors,
district chiefs and mayors from western Indonesia.

"The divestment of government shares in state companies shows
the government's failure in its move toward national economic
recovery. Indeed, the privatization will further worsen the
country's economic condition," student demonstrator Ahmad said in
his speech.

He blamed the failure and the worsening economic condition on
the economic team of President Megawati Soekarnoputri's
government under the leadership of Dorodjatun.

The students then issued a statement rejecting not only the
privatization program but also the presence of the economic
ministers at the two-day dialog. "We reject the presence of
Megawati's economic team here because it is responsible for the
country's continuing economic crisis," Ahmad said.