Sugar farmers stage rally

SEMARANG: Some 200 sugar farmers representing 100,000 others across Central Java marched to the provincial legislature on Monday to demand an improvement of their earnings.

The group rejected the import sugar tax which was set at 25 percent, saying it was not enough to protect domestic sugar farmers.

"We want at least an 80 percent tax to be imposed on imported sugar," the protesters shouted.

The farmers came from Kudus, Pati, Sragen, Karanganyar, Klaten, Pekalongan, Pemalang, Slawi, Brebes and Yogyakarta.

Central Java governor Mardiyanto and the legislature's speaker, Mardiyo, met with the group and promised to channel their demand to the central government. (har/edt)