Payment for protest claim an outrageous lie

JAKARTA (JP): Claims reported in The Jakarta Post that the New Zealand Green Party paid protesters to rally outside New Zealand's Parliament are an outrageous lie, the party's Co-Leader Rod Donald says.

The article, run on the Post's website on Thursday, reported that an Indonesian student in New Zealand claimed the Green Party had paid his college friend NZ$30 to join a protest in support of the independence of Aceh and West Papua.

"The Green Party certainly did not pay people to engage in a protest about the Indonesian Government's treatment of people in Aceh and West Papua," Donald said.

"While in Indonesia it may be common practice for protesters to be paid, in New Zealand this is unheard of. In New Zealand people protest over things they believe in, not for financial gain.

"With and election coming up the Green Party is saving its limited funds for the campaign," Donald said.

Note: We apologize to the Green Party of New Zealand for failing to present their viewpoint in regards to accusations made by a Green Party protester during a visit by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to Wellington. -- Editor