PDI Perjuangan paints Medan red

PDI Perjuangan paints Medan red

MEDAN, North Sumatra: Thousands of red-clad supporters of the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) rode on
hundreds of trucks, buses, motorcycles and other vehicles in a
convoy along streets here on Monday, causing massive traffic jams
across the city.

In the downtown area, traffic stopped completely as supporters
flooded the areas. Jl. Raden Saleh, Jl. Sutomo, Jl. H.M. Yamin,
Jl. Thamrin, Jl. Iskandar Muda and Jl. Jamin Ginting were among
streets packed by supporters, some of them bringing along their
children.

Elsewhere in Medan, two smaller parties -- the Independence
Vanguards Party (IPKI) and the Indonesian Muslim Party (PUMI) --
held a discussion on the political participation of Chinese-
Indonesians in the province. Anti-discrimination activist from
LARAS (Anti-Racism Foundation) Kamaluddin Lubis criticized the
two parties as lacking solid concepts on ethnic assimilation in
the region.

He referred to a politician's criticisms of Chinese-
Indonesians who went abroad for the campaigning period as lacking
in nationalism, while another politician categorized them as
"banking criminals".

Pangihutan Nasution of PUI, however, said his party would
fight for better assimilation of the ethnic group here, while
Safri Chan of the local IPKI chapter promised to fight for
equality between different ethnic groups including Chinese-
Indonesians.