Protests over national car

JAKARTA: About 50 Indonesians protested last week in front of the Japanese Embassy in Jakarta over the country's national car policy.

They called on the Japanese Government not to interfere in Indonesia's national car policy.

A statement by the protesters said: "The national car policy is our internal affair and the Indonesian Government has given opportunities to the Japanese Government to sell and market its products since 1960."

Last month, the World Trade Organization (WTO) set up a dispute-settlement to study complaints over Indonesia's national car policy.

Japan, the European Union and the United States lodged complaints last October with the WTO over the car policy, claiming it discriminates against their carmakers.