Students threaten to occupy Caltex
Students threaten to occupy Caltex
Antara, Pekanbaru
More than 500 students from several universities and academies in
Pekanbaru threatened to occupy the office of American oil company
PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia (CPI) in Rumbai, near the city,
unless the company condemned the United States' military strikes
against Afghanistan.
The students, who have set up camp outside the CPI office in
Rumbai, reiterated on Thursday that they would expel American
citizens in the province and occupy the office if the company
failed to condemn American action in Afghanistan.
"We are firm in our demand that CPI must condemn the military
strikes. We are waiting for the company's response to our
demand," Antara news agency quoted a student as saying on
Thursday.
The students, who forced their way near the CPI office on
Wednesday morning, gave a deadline of 48 hours for the company to
meet their demand. They warned that they would occupy the office
and expel American citizens in the province if the company did
not meet their demand.
The operation site, including the office and housing areas,
have been kept closed to the public in anticipation of a reaction
to the U.S. military strikes.
The protesters were denied access to the office hall and
hundreds of anti-riot police were deployed to tighten security
around the company's operation site.
The protesters also demanded that the government sever
diplomatic ties with the United States and alliance nations
immediately and nationalize all American assets in Indonesia,
including Caltex.
Besides Caltex's ultimatum to condemn the American strikes, it
was also ordered to stop exporting oil to the United States and
alliance nations.
"If the ultimatum is not met, we will not be accountable for
the safety of American citizens in the province," another student
threatened.
Poedyo Oetomo, CPI's communications and media relations
manager, said that the company's management was consulting with
regard to the students' demands and ultimatum.
He declined, however, to mention who the company was
consulting with.
"We still have time to respond to the students' demand and,
therefore, be patient," he said.