Padang shop owners strike

PADANG, West Sumatra: Almost all trade in the West Sumatra capital of Padang ceased on Thursday during a protest against last year's closure of the Andalas bus terminal in the center of the city and its relocation to the city's outskirts.

Shop owners, shopping malls, department stores and street vendors shut to protest the relocation, which protesters say has cut trade in the city by between 40 percent and 70 percent.

Padang shop owners said out-of-town buyers had been deterred from visiting Padang because the terminal's location in Bingkuang was too remote, lacked public facilities and was known for its high crime rate. -- Antara