Protest rallies should not disrupt BCA services

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