Poverty, price hike prompt fishermen to riot

Poverty, price hike prompt fishermen to riot

By Haryoso

REMBANG, Central Java (JP): Hundreds of fishermen and
unemployed people went on a rampage near here two days before the
Idul Fitri holiday last month, on learning that the price of
kerosene had shot up from Rp 350 (5 U.S. cents) to Rp 1,000 a
liter.

Even though the authorities considered the unrest "minor
disturbances", the angry residents of Sarang and Kragan
districts, in separate rioting, managed to burn down or damage 25
shops. The financial losses came to hundreds of millions of
rupiah, but, fortunately as most Javanese would say, there were
no injuries or deaths.

Three hundred soldiers and police were put on alert and dozens
of people were arrested in the regency, 115 kilometers east of
Central Java's capital Semarang.

Maemun Zuber, a respected local Moslem leader and member of
the People's Consultative Assembly, said he knew the locals of
Rembang -- mostly fishermen, as good-natured people.

He conceded, however, that many people had become restless
over the relentless increase of the prices of basic commodities.
"Most of these fishermen do not usually make that much money.
Sometimes, they do not even earn anything," Maemun told The
Jakarta Post.

"Prices are still increasing. In addition, school expenses for
children are increasing too. In these economic conditions, it's
easy to trigger their anger," he said.

Suradi, a 38-year-old fisherman from Kragan village in Kragan
regency, described how he had had a constant headache for the
past few months. "I haven't been able to catch enough fish to
make ends meet, while food prices keep rising. I'm really
stressed out."

At present he earns Rp 2,000 per day. A kilogram of lesser-
quality rice costs between Rp 1,600 and Rp 2,200, while the
prices of sugar and cooking oil have also risen.

"We don't have money, but my children have to eat. So, I have
been forced to borrow money from loan sharks," said Suradi, a
father of two. "They ask for very high interest. If I borrowed Rp
100,000, I'd have to pay them back Rp 125,000, in daily
installments."

Suradi said numerous other villagers had also borrowed money
from the loan sharks, many of whom were men who did not hesitate
to intimidate people into paying.

Sarkawi, 50, nodded. This father of three talked sadly in his
humble shanty measuring four-by-six meters about how he had to
withdraw his two eldest sons from school and make them work.

"My eldest son was in fifth grade, while the second was in
fourth grade. Now they work catching small fish in the nearby
river and on the beach, while I go out to sea," Sarkawi said.

In good times, Sarkawi usually earns between Rp 100,000 and Rp
150,000 per month. These days, Sarkawi considers himself lucky if
he makes Rp 60,000 a month.

He also had borrowed money from a loan shark and had to pay
daily installments of Rp 4,000. "I often do not have enough money
to feed my family, much less pay my debts," he said.

Urban

Urban dwellers are suffering no less pain from the economic
crisis than rural people. Kartijo, 50, a resident of Barutikung
in the northern part of the Central Java capital of Semarang, is
stressed out and confused as to how he can feed his wife and
three children.

He said he was close to despair and did not want to sell used
newspapers and magazines any longer.

"Trade was slow and the family's needs were urgent, especially
toward Idul Fitri last month," said Kartijo, a trader of used
newspapers and magazines in a slum area close to Pasar Johar.

He told the Post that before the monetary crisis, he earned Rp
200,000 monthly. "But now, since August last year, my profit has
averaged Rp 50,000 only. Some days I do not even sell anything."

"This has shocked me tremendously, especially since prices of
daily foodstuffs have increased steeply. School books for the
children have also become more expensive now," he said.

Samawi, 42, of Ngesrep district in the south of Semarang and a
father of two, echoed these sentiments.

"My salary as a security guard at a private school is only Rp
135,000 a month. The price increases of daily essentials have led
me to borrow money from my brother in Jakarta to meet my family's
needs," Samawi said.

Samawi said he had obtained permission from the school
principal to look for an extra job as a minibus conductor while
continuing to guard the school at night.

"My wife Sutarni, 40, is now trying to get work as a domestic
help," he said.

Ngadani, 37, of Bandarhardjo district in the north of
Semarang, lost his job just before Idul Fitri because the shrimp
chip factory where he worked closed down.

"Just as we were heading toward the happy Idul Fitri holiday,
15 friends and I lost our jobs because the factory went bankrupt.
I understood and accepted the dismissal," said Ngadani who now
runs a motorcycle taxi which he borrowed from his brother-in-law.

Two construction workers in Semarang, Haryanto and Sukirno,
have been jobless for months and are now desperate for other
employment to meet their families' needs.

Haryanto, 40, of Ngaliyam village in the west of Semarang, has
said that life is now harder than ever.

"My wife and I are forced to eat only once a day, while the
children can have their three meals. In order to fill my stomach
I keep sweet potatoes in stock as a substitute for rice," he
said.

Sukirno, 38, said he had been forced into pickpocketing.

"I am forced by the circumstances in this urgent and critical
situation to become a pickpocket. I need money to feed my wife
and child. I come from a poor family. My brothers are also poor
and are experiencing the same problems as me," said Sukirno.

He said he would stop stealing as soon as he found a job.

Projects

Cholil Bisri, a leader of the Nahdlatul Ulama Moslem
organization and former legislator, called on the Central Java
administration to help ease the situation as soon as possible by
introducing labor-intensive projects.

The administration has reportedly allotted Rp 3.35 billion to
finance projects in order to provide work for 7,000 workers.

"The scheme started on January 15, 1998 and will last for 80
days. The projects are in Tegal regency, Tegal city and Brebes
regency, because in these three regions the number of unemployed
people is the highest in Central Java," said Andi Usman, head of
the provincial office of the Ministry of Manpower.