Protesters march on to Jakarta

BANDUNG: At least 300 people, mostly students, workers, farmers and fishermen from Bandung, West Java, continued on Saturday their long march to Jakarta, where they intend to stage a rally.

The demonstrators, who left Bandung -- about 120 km east of Jakarta -- on Thursday, planned to arrive in Jakarta on Wednesday.

After holding public speeches in Cianjur, mid-way between Bandung and Jakarta, the protesters edged toward the capital, carrying banners with messages deploring the administration of President Megawati Soekarnoputri and Vice President Hamzah Haz, whom they called upon to resign.

They urged the government to reduce the prices of staple foods and bring corruptors to court.

A leader of the demonstration said the march aimed to commemorate the fifth year of the reform movement and the resignation of former president Soeharto.

They are expected to arrive in Jakarta on May 21, the day Soeharto stepped down five years ago following mass pro-reform rallies involving tens of thousands of people, mostly students.

In Jakarta, they will stage a demonstration in front of Istana Merdeka and the legislative assembly building. --Antara