Roadsweepers bear brunt of campaign

SEMARANG: Local street sweepers, mostly elderly women, are finding their yellow uniforms dangerous, especially when the green-clad supporters of the United Development Party (PPP) rally in the streets.

The workers are required to wear yellow so that drivers can see them. The problem is that yellow is also the color of the ruling Golkar, which has been running a controversial campaign to paint all public property yellow.

Outraged PPP supporters have been venting their frustration on the street sweepers. Sulasmi, 56, has scarred hands as proof of their abuse. "They misidentified me as a Golkar supporter just because of my uniform," she said.

"We are ordinary women, we don't know anything about politics. I can't understand why they beat up old women like us," Sulasmi said.

She and her colleagues have decided not to wear their uniforms when PPP and Indonesian Democratic Party supporters take to the streets.

In Jakarta, Australian J. Acnnachal fell victim to some PPP supporters' brutality on their street rally on Thursday, Antara reported. The mass beat the expatriate because he objected to their plastering his car with party attributes. (har/swe)