Student, workers plan huge fuel price protest

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)