Violence erupts as street demonstrations heighten

Violence erupts as street demonstrations heighten

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Street demonstrations against recent hikes in fuel, telephone and
electricity charges became violent in several cities on the
second day of protests Tuesday as thousands of demonstrators
across the country mounted pressure on President Megawati
Soekarnoputri to resign over the increases.

In the Central Sulawesi capital of Palu, a thousand protesters
scuffled with police who tried to prevent them from lowering the
national Red and White flag outside the governor's office in the
city.

Several demonstrators, including students, workers, farmers
and fishermen, as well as activists from non-governmental
organizations, were injured after police officers beat them with
sticks.

The clash stopped when Central Sulawesi Governor Aminuddin
Ponulele came out of his office to appease the protesters.

Earlier, the protesters burned at least two pictures of
President Megawati and several tires outside the governor's
office and the local legislative council building.

A clash also erupted in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan,
when the police tried to disperse some 100 protesters for failing
to show a protest permit, Antara said.

In the South Sulawesi capital of Makassar, thousands of
students staged a series of similar protests throughout the day
at the provincial legislative council to urge Megawati and her
deputy Hamzah Haz to resign over the hikes.

"Megawati and Hamzah Haz have betrayed their own nation. It is
utterly unfit for them to retain the posts," said Siswan, leader
of the Student Executive Board (BEM) of the State University of
Makassar (UNM).

A clash nearly broke out in Makassar in the afternoon when
protesters stopped a fuel truck passing outside the council
building and held it briefly.

In Jakarta, about 100 students gathered outside the House of
Representatives (DPR) building, demanding the resignations of
Megawati, Hamzah, House speaker Akbar Tandjung and People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR) chairman Amien Rais over the price
hikes.

"Now there are only two options left for the people: Remain
silent and suffer, or rise up and fight to reclaim rights that
have been stolen from us," said a leaflet distributed by the
demonstrators.

Protests were also reported in the East Java capital of
Surabaya, Cirebon in West Java, Yogyakarta, Pekalongan and
Semarang in Central Java, Jayapura in Papua, Ternate in North
Maluku, Mataram in West Nusa Tenggara, and several other towns
and cities throughout Java, Bali, Sumatra and Sulawesi.

Tuesday saw bigger protests across the country than Monday,
with more people joining strikes in many cities.

Drivers in a number of cities including Pekanbaru in Riau, and
Semarang and Sidoarjo in East Java, have been on strike since
Monday. More than 1,700 fishermen in Cirebon were also planning a
strike.

"We will continue this action until the government listens to
our grievances. The fuel price hike has extremely hurt us. It is
impossible for us to go to sea with additional burdens," Jumadi,
a 38-year old fisherman, told The Jakarta Post.

The government raised fuel prices by up to 22 percent on Jan.
2 as part of its continuing efforts to reduce costly and
misdirected fuel subsidies and contain its budget deficit.

This increase was accompanied by hikes in electricity charges
by six percent and in telephone tariffs by an average of 15
percent.

The price increases came into effect in the midst of the
government's announcement of the much-criticized release and
discharge policy aimed at exonerating big debtors from legal
charges, which served to undermine the people's sense of justice.

The East Java branches of Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah,
the country's two main Muslim organizations, also joined demands
for the increases to be reviewed, saying the motion was being
made to prevent anarchy from breaking out in Indonesia.

MPR speaker Amien Rais also reiterated his call for the
government to delay the increases in order to prevent national
instability over the escalating demonstrations.

The government, nevertheless, said it had no plans to overturn
the increases, arguing it was an unavoidable choice, despite the
fact that the policy had subsequently pushed up the costs of
staple foods.

To compensate for the price hikes, the government has
allocated Rp 4 trillion as financial aid for the poor. The funds
are to be distributed through seven sectors: education (Rp 1.2
trillion), health (Rp 600 billion), cheap rice for the poor (Rp
500 billion), small- and medium-sized businesses, maritime and
fisheries, labor and transportation.

Labor and transportation unions, as well as student groups,
have threatened to stage nationwide strikes unless the government
annuls the rises.