Police clear streets of demonstrators

Police clear streets of demonstrators

Anyone planning to exercise their democratic rights by staging
rallies along Jakarta's main roads during the Asian-African
Summit should think again as the police have orders to send them
packing straightaway.

Several groups of would-be protesters, including members of
the Indonesian Farmers Federation, the Anti-Debt Coalition and
the Jakarta Workers Association, tried on Thursday to stage
demonstrations at the famous Hotel Indonesia traffic circle,
Central Jakarta, but were dispersed by the police within five
minutes.

Less than 10 minutes after the police dispersed them, a number
of convoys carrying summit delegates passed along the road.

"We had just arrived, and we didn't even have a chance to do
anything. They simply want to impress the summit delegates, and
make them think that Jakarta is a peaceful city with no
demonstrations," Wahyu, a leader of the rally, told The Jakarta
Post.

A police officer said that they could not risk the possibility
of the protesters "spoiling the peaceful summit".

"We have orders to disperse any demonstrations, especially
along main roads. If we were to let the protesters stay there,
chaos could break out," he said. --JP