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)