Street protests - AKSI as they are called in Indonesia - have increased in frequency and militancy over the last week and so, propelled by the success of May Day around the country mobilisations two weeks ago, and provoked by the government decision to increase fuel prices again, threatening a flow through in price increases for the basic commodities consumed by millions of ordinary people. Already there have been statements from government figures, including the security apparatus, repeating the Suharto era refrain that the demonstrations were being manipulated by “third parties” which “you all know”, but who remianed unnamed. [1]

One wave of demonstrations was organised by the Student Executive Bodies (BEMs), student councils operating at the university faculty level. There are claims that more than 130 BEMs from different campuses were involved in that wave of actions. Around May 10-11, there was also an action by a student group that slept out overnight outside the Presidential campus.

The increasingly heated mood is also providing the basis for former head of the National Mandate Party (PAN) and former speaker of the Peoples Consultative Assembly, Amien Rais, to make repeated sharp attacks on President Yudhoyono’s government and on what he states is the government’s weak attitude towards foreign companies operating in Indonesia. There is an increasing mood of hostility to the foreign economic presence and the rapacious attitude of foreign companies and the deleterious conditions attached to the myriad of foreign loans in which Indonesia is entrapped. It is clear that a political battle is brewing for leadership over this anti-foreign sentiment between sections of the business and political elite (frustrated at their own share of the economic cake and eager at the same time to win some popularity in the lead-up to the next elections), elements of the elite campaigning under the banner of one variant or another of anti-Western Islamic fundamentalism and embryonic progressive or socialist forces now just starting to organise.

National Liberation Front (FPN)

The FPN [2] has called for protests on May 21. Apart from organising to mobilise some of its own members on May 21, it has put out a general call for street protests on May 21. It has begun small pickets and other actions in the lead-up. The momentum for the formation of the FPN, on the initiative of leaders of the Workers’ Demands Alliance (ABM), seems to have emerged out of the successful collaboration between progressive groups on May Day.

Smaller FPN run up actions 200-500 people have already been held outside government buildings, regional parliaments and other locations in Medan, North Sumatra; Tangerang, West Jakarta; Solo, Central Java; Surabaya, East Java;Jogjakarta in central Java and Balikpapan, East Java.

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Pictures’ (not reproduced here) captions:

May Day in central Jakarta. The section with the mostly red flags are mostly Workers’ Demands Alliance (ABM) unions, whose leaders took the lead in forming the FPN. The main banner reads: Fight the New Form of Domination/Occupation.

Those marching behind the yellow banners are unions and others, including farmers, from the Peoples Struggle Front (FPR). This is another Left stream in the country whose political perspective emphasises the leading role of farmers and the rural poor in winning change. As far as I know, this was their first significant mobilisation in Jakarta. There have been on-again off-again talks between the FPR and FPN about joining together, but as of May 16, they are still workimg separately.

This action occured in North Maluku comprising the Urban Poor peoples Union - Poor Peoples Politics (SRMK-PRM), the National Students League for Democracy, LMND-PRM, as well as the Indonesian Islamic Students Association (PMII) and the Peoples Youth Front (the latter is a union of Ternate indigenous people)

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On May 12, another alliance, the People Demand Front (FRM), which includes Volunteers for Democracy (REPDEM), a part of Megawati’s PDIP and the PRD/PAPERNAS, also held an action also protesting the fuel price rises. FRM is seen to be too close to the elite poitical parties by the other forces. There links with the elite parties was also reflected in one of their key political demands, namely, for the replacement of President Yudhoyono’s team of economic ministers with other candidates. The left coalitions are using the mobilisations to advocate that these old elite party forces, including people like Amien Rais and Megawati, have no solutions and should stand aside.

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FPN call to action issued via mass leaflet

DOCUMENT (TRANSLATION by MAX LANE)

17 MAY, 2008

SECOND CALL ISSUED BY THE FPN RE MAY 21 PROTEST AKSI

(produced for mass distribution in the poor kampung
along the march route to the Presidential palace.)

NATIONAL LIBERATION FRONT

Members: ABM, SMI, PPRM, PRP, JGM, LMND-PRM, PEREMPUAN MAHARDIKA, SIEKAP, SPEED, WALHI, IGJ, KPA, IKOHI, PRAXIS, PERGERAKAN, LBH JKT,KORBAN, ARM, SPI,
PAWANG

Jl. Pori Raya No. 6 RT 09 RW 010 Pisangan Timur, Jakarta Timur 13230

Telp : 021 475 7881, 021 9289 4347

email: front.pembebasan.nasional gmail.com

Contact Persons : Sastro 0812 1059 0010, Jon : 021 9833 34197

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RESIST and DEFEAT THE FUEL PRICE RISES!!!

IT IS TIME FOR THE PEOPLE TO UNITE AND REJECT THESE POLICIES WITH AKSI AND MASS STRIKES !

Fuel prices are to be raised 25-30% (possibly reaching Rp 6000+ per liter). This will be finalized at the end of May.This decision will increase the burden of suffering upon the people. There is discontent everywhere. Butall the news reports that the government could not care less. The government justifies it policy ny saying that we all must sacrifice and be frugal. They do not care that everywhere the people become poorer, have insufficient nutrition, go hungry, suffer stress, and psychological disorders, even some killing themselves because they cannot bare any more suffering.

Arrogantly, the government dares to continue to work with the “Peoples Oppressors”, who though with different faces all speak in one voice in defence of capital which will profit handsomely from these fuel price rises. These “Peoples Oppressors” comprise: the Yudhoyono-Kalla government; the deceiver of the people parties (Golkar, Demokrat, PDIP, PKS, and others who pretent to be against the fuel price rises for the sake of pre 2009 election popularity but in the parliament have given the government the go ahed to take away the price subsidies),the fake reformasi elite figures busy profiling themselves, and the intellectuals and economists busy manufacturing justifications for taking away the price subsidies.

The redirect the peoples anger, they thrown in fake solutions such as the BLT Plus (Direct Cash Bonus) [for the poor] which since its introduction in 2005 has been shown to be a complete failure in reducing poverty. Its real purpose has been to try to put the brakes on and rupture the spirit and resistance actions of the people. If the people can be deceived, we will never to stop these fuel price rises. Again and again they are increased; again and again we must swallow this bitter pill. To make sure we do not fail again, as in 2000 and 2005, we must unite all our energy in an organized people’s movement that carries out various forms of struggle, namely:

1. For all of you, men and women, living in the kampungs* form kamoung committees (e.g. Mampang Peoples Committee Against the Fuel price Rises)as a instrument to fight the prices. alat Make your views known through free forums and open meetings of the citizens. Don’t hesitate to invie everybody living there; even invite the journalists so that what you do is reported so that it may be copied by other kampung. Then organize marches and mass actions in your kampung targeting the district government offices between May 18-21/

2. For the drivers of TAXIs, MIKROLETs, KOPAJAs, METRO MINIs and BIS KOTA, [public transport vehicles], and [passenger] motor bike drivers, unite your strength, carry out strikes in the bus terminals and bus pools during the working day (07.00-10.00) until(16.00-21.00) all through 18-21 May.Don’t forget to inform the journalists of your actions.

3. For the workers, join together with the Workers’ Demands Alliance (ABM)and carry out aksi against the fuel price rises between 18-21 May in the industrial areas, in your kampung and in the factories. If needs be strike together, because indeed these fuel price rises will also bring with it the threat of dismissal. And again, don’t forget to tell the journalists.

4. For the university and high school students, it is time to set upcommittees in your universities and schools as a vehicle to carry outmass actions, free speech forums. In the campuses and schools between 18-21 May. And when you head home, don’t feel to superior, but join in with the kamoung people who are carrying out their actions and protests. And tekll the reporters what you are doing.

5. And don’t forget following all your actions and feee speech forums in your own locations (kampungs, bus terminals, industrial areas, campuses and schools) then unite forces with the NATIONAL LIBERATION FRONT which will carry out:

AKSI MASSA (MASS ACTION) on Wednesday, 21 May to surroiund the palace and to defeat the increase in fuel prices.

For those who cannot join the demonstration on 21 May 2008, at 12 noon carry out a noise barrage, bang the electric light posts, blow the car or motor bike horn, bang the kitchen pots and pans and so on

MAIN DEMANDS OF THE RAKYAT (the poor people)

1. DEFEAT THE FUEL PRICE INCREASES

2. LOWER THE PRICES OF BASIC NEEDS GOODS

3. UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE PEOPLE, SEIZE THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY, MOSTLY OWNED BY FOREIGN INTERESTS AND CAPITALISTS

All this is only possible if all of the peoples’ strength unites in large scale mass mobilizations, builds peoples organizations, builds unifications of the people.

This struggle of the people needs the enrgy and spirit of the people, an honest and courageous spirit, agreeing to unite together in the unity of the movement.

We invite you also to declare your support by filling in this petition. We will gather the maximum number of peoples’ voices to show those in power that we reject these price increases. Send the petition to the President, Governors, Mayors, village or neighbourhood heads or to the local or national parliaments.

Save, read and discuss this leaflet with your friends. If need be, reproduce it and hand it out.

PETISI RAKYAT MENOLAK KENAIKAN HARGA BBM TAHUN 2008

Name

Address :

Occupation :

JAKARTA, … Mei 2008

( _________________ )

Register to be involved in the AKSI to defeat the fuel price increases:

1. Tangerang : Koswaraà0856 1778 067 / 021 9191 6662

2. Jakarta West : Anis à 021 9370 4450

3. Jakarta East : Sultoni à02 19447 5681

4. Jakarta North : Kamal à 021 9347 3784

5. Jakarta Centre : Rendro à0855 1015 346

6. Jakarta South : Wiwin à 021 7033 2382

7. Depok : Khadir à021 9651 482

8. Bekasi : Helmi à 0813 1841 2151

9. Karawang : Heryantoà0813 1803 0976