Students protest paper price hike

Students protest paper price hike

SEMARANG, Central Java: Hundreds of students rallied at the
provincial legislative council Wednesday to demand that the
government move to bring down paper prices.

The poster-waving demonstrators demanded that the government
take prompt action to end the paper crisis, which is threatening
newspapers in the provinces with closure and the public with
steep rises in textbook prices.

They also demand the resignation of Minister of Industry Tunky
Ariwibowo due to his "inability" to handle the crisis and called
for an end to monopolistic and oligopolistic practices in the
paper industry.

Asma, the spokesman for the protesters, said it was ironic
that the crisis happened only a month after President Soeharto
launched a campaign aimed at encouraging people to buy and read
books. (har/rms)