Khairul Ikhwan, Medan — The G8 Forum Ministerial
Level Meeting that is taking place in Hokkaido,
Japan, has been condemned by student groups in the
North Sumatra provincial capital of Medan.
Scores of students from the Medan City National
Students Front (FMN) declared their disagreement
with the G8 Forum by holding a protest action at the
Japanese Consulate General on Jl. Cut Nyak Dien on
Monday July 7.
During the action, students expressed their
opposition to and condemned the 34th meeting of the
G8 countries that will take pace in Hokkaido on July
7-9. They also accused the G8 meeting of only aiming
to exploit and drain the blood of the people in
countries colonised (sic) by Japan, including
Indonesia.
For this reason, the students also condemned
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s (SBY) plan to
attend the meeting. “Will SBY’s presence reflect the
sovereignty of the Indonesian people?” said Ricard,
one of the students.
Although the action proceeded in an orderly manner,
the protest at the Consulate General was tightly
guarded by police. No consulate representatives
would agree to meet with a delegation of students
and after the protest ended, they disbanded in an
orderly fashion. (rul/djo)
Students protest G8 meeting, demand cancellation of foreign debt
Ramadhian Fadillah, Jakarta — A number of protest
actions will greet the Group of Eight (G8)
industrial nations meeting that is to begin today in
Hokkaido, Japan. The Japanese embassy on Jl. MH
Thamrin in Central Jakarta will be ‘rocked’ by two
anti-liberalism demonstrations.
The first protest will take place at 11am. The Anti-
Dept Coalition (KAU) will hold an action demanding
that the advanced countries abolish the debts of
Third World countries.
KAU believes that the current crisis in Third World
countries is occurring as a consequence of
neoliberal development that is being forced through
by the advanced countries. They also accused the G8
countries of being the biggest contributors to the
destruction of the environment through their carbon
emissions.
“The G8 countries must take responsibility, one of
these is abolishing Southern countries’ debts,
including Indonesia, without any preconditions,”
said KAU program officer Yuyun Harmono in an email
received by Detik.com on Monday July 7.
In addition to this, the People’s Struggle Front
(FPR) will also rock the Japanese embassy at
11.30am. They will be opposing the modern
imperialism being forced on the developing countries
by the advanced nations. (rdf/anw)