Three more students join hunger strike

Three more students join hunger strike

JAKARTA (JP): Three more students have joined a group of
hunger strikers to protest against the hike in domestic fuel
prices and to demand the release of a fellow student, replacing
three others who have had to be rushed to hospital.

The strike, conducted at the parking lot of the National
Commission on Human Rights, began on June 29 and initially
involved six students.

The strike claimed its first casualty on Friday when one
student was rushed to UKI Hospital. The second followed on Sunday
and the third on Monday.

On Tuesday, three students picked up where their colleagues
left off. They were Adri from the Jakarta School of Theology,
Boger from the Institute of Social and Political Studies (IISIP)
and Dede from August 17 University in Cirebon.

Bolong from the Jakarta State Institute of Islamic Studies
(IAIN) joined in on Sunday.

They joined Mona of the National University in Jakarta, Buyung
of the Alliance for the Revolutionary Students and Youth, Rey
from the Indonesian Christian University (UKI) of Jakarta, who
were all part of the first group of hunger strikers.

The students looked weak and exhausted as they lay inside
their tent. They have only consumed water and tea provided by
other students.

"We will stay here until the government revokes the fuel price
hike and release Mixil," Dede said.

Mixil Mina Munir, an activist from City Forum university
student organization, was detained by police on June 29 on
charges of inciting unrest during a violent protest against fuel
price hikes, averaging 30 percent, in the Ciputat district, south
of Jakarta. (06)