Student, workers plan huge fuel price protest

JAKARTA (JP): Seven student and labor organizations have vowed to bring some 10,000 people to the streets on Saturday to protest the government's plan to raise fuel prices the same day.

"We'll mobilize at least 10,000 students and workers on Saturday, with the target of occupying the House of Representatives building," Dita Indah Sari, coordinator of the National Front for Indonesian Labor Struggle (FNPBI), said on Thursday in a joint media conference at the office of the Foundation of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute (YLBHI) in Central Jakarta.

The conference was organized by seven student and labor organizations grouped under the People's Committee for Justice (Kekar), including the FNPBI, the National Students League for Democracy (LMND), the Indonesian Prosperous Labor Union (SBSI) and the Chinese Indonesian Students Solidarity for Justice (Simpatik).

Dita said the groups would welcome other organizations' participation in the protest.

"The more people participating, the more pressure on the government," she said.

The House of Representatives building will be empty on Saturday, as its recess starts on April 1, ending May 12.

Dita, however, said it was not legislators who were their target, but rather the Abdurrahman Wahid-Megawati Soekarnoputri government.

"By staging the protest at the (House) building, we can build public opinion in support of the idea that a hike in fuel prices betrays the people's will," she said.

Dita said Kekar would stage another protest in front of the State Palace in Central Jakarta on Sunday.

"We will stay at the House building overnight to build support for the Sunday protest," she said.

Asked why they had not held any protests before April 1, SBSI activist Yatini Sulistyowati said, "We have been preparing the protest for a long time. Also, laborers have a half-day on Saturday."

Meanwhile, student protesters from City Forum (Forkot) are planning to stage a similar protest on Friday.

"We'll mobilize 3,000 to 5,000 students at the State Palace on Friday to protest fuel price hikes," Mixil, an executive at the loose alliance of student groups belonging to Jakarta's private universities, told The Jakarta Post by phone.

Both groups have yet to obtain permits from the police.

"It is not necessary to get a permit. Law no.9/1998 on the freedom of speech is a legacy of the former president Soeharto era," said Mixil.

In an attempt to anticipate the protest, Jakarta Police chief Maj. Gen. Nurfaizi said the city police would hold a meeting to consolidate police forces on Friday.

"The police will not prohibit the protest as long as it's free of violence," city police spokesman Lt. Col. Zainuri Lubis said.

Dita lashed out at the government for its hasty decision, saying raising fuel prices would make the people suffer.

"As the production cost of goods will be affected by the fuel price hike, the price of goods will also increase," said Dita.

"Students will no longer be able to obtain a good education. And mothers will have to feed their babies food with a poor nutritional value, which will lead the nation to suffer a lost generation," said Dita.

Dita won the support of other speakers in the room, who said the government had acted against the people's will.

"Instead of subsidizing people to improve their lives, the government is taking the people's money to pay its debts to foreign donors," said Alex Chandra Ferry from Simpatik. (asa)