Protest rallies should not disrupt BCA services

Protest rallies involving thousands of employees of the country's largest retail bank, Bank Central Asia (BCA), took place in Jakarta on Monday and Tuesday, March 11 and March 12. They took to the streets, unfurling banners and posters essentially rejecting the sale of the government's stake in BCA to a foreign party.

Some have assumed that these protest rallies have been organized not only in the employees' interests but have also been supported by the bank's incumbent high-ranking officials. The authority and position of officials could be under threat if a foreign party were to secure a controlling shareholding in the company. Moreover, they are generally loyal to the Salim group, which has not been allowed to repurchase the shares, as the group is no longer fit to do so.

Under these circumstances, the government should not only show a firm attitude but also give a transparent explanation so that the conditions, aims and objectives of selling its controlling shareholding in BCA will be clear beyond any shadow of a doubt. This explanation is necessary to counter the assumption that the bank's employees have staged protest rallies in the name of nationalism, as it is obvious that they have been fighting for the interests of their own or of certain other parties. They are not defending Indonesia.

-- Warta Kota, Jakarta