PDI encourages people to speak up

PDI encourages people to speak up

JAKARTA: The minority Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) is
encouraging people to have the courage to speak up on any
government policies that they believe to be contrary to the
public interest.

Top PDI officials said in a discussion with members of the
Jakarta Foreign Correspondents Club on Tuesday that Indonesian
people were, generally, afraid to speak their minds about
politics.

"The core of PDI's programs is to promote people's political
awareness so that they will no longer be afraid to express their
opinions," said Kwik Kian Gie, chief of the PDI's research and
development center.

At the same meeting, Party chief Megawati Soekarnoputri
criticized the East Java provincial administration for banning
her from meeting with her supporters there. The administration
has sought to justify its actions by saying that Megawati's
presence in the province would spark clashes between her foes and
supporters.

The real reason for the ban, Megawati said, was that the East
Java administration, which supports the ruling Golkar party, did
not want the PDI to become strong in the province, which has a
population of 33.5 million people. (pan)