Students, activists against fuel hike

Students, activists against fuel hike

YOGYAKARTA: The government's plan to hike electricity and fuel
prices was met with a protest by students and members of the
Democratic People's Party (PRD), who rallied at the boulevard of
Gadjah Mada University on Monday.

During the demonstration, the protesters distributed pamphlets
and called for a nationwide strike against the plan.

"We are against the foreign capital intervention which will
turn this nation into one of modified imperialism," said chief of
PRD's Sleman chapter Tyas Ing Kalbu, referring to the
International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Tyas said prices of other items would follow suit if the
government's proposal was endorsed.

The protesters also demanded that the government revoke any
policies to phase out subsidies and change them with cross
subsidy schemes such as taxes on luxury items and a cut in the
military's budget. (swa/emf)