Clash mars protest against high-voltage transmission lines
A clash between police and protesters marred a
demonstration against high-voltage transmission
lines (SUTET) in Central Jakarta on February 11. At
around 3pm demonstrators closed off Jalan Diponegoro
using bamboo poles resulting in traffic traveling in
the direction of Jalan Imam Bonjol being unable to
pass.
When police arrived an hour later and tried to
remove the blockade they were obstructed by
protesters resulting in an argument. "The police
don’t defend the interests of the people, [so what]
if there’s a traffic jam there’s traffic jams
everywhere, there are even traffic jams on the toll
roads", said one of the protesters.
In the end three police officers tried to use
motorbikes to push protesters back to the Save the
Indonesian People coordination post on Jalan
Diponegoro. Unwilling to give ground they forced
police back who eventually gave up and resorted to
rerouting traffic. The situation has now calmed down
and around 30 police are on guard to ensure no
undesirable incidents occur. (Detik.com, 11/2/2006)
Farmers demonstrate over water resources at Gumeng dam
Hundreds of farmers from three villages in the sub-
district of Jenawi, Karanganyar regency, Central
Java, demonstrated on February 11. Protesters opened
the floodgates of the Gumeng Dam and demolished
stones blocking the flow of water. This was done in
order to clear muddied waters and to redirect the
flow to drought-ridden farmlands.
Prior to opening the dam’s gates, local people had
gone to the offices of the state-owned Drinking
Water Company (PAM) bringing posters and
agricultural tools. Protested wanted to demolish PAM
pips that channel water to another regency because
it has created a water crisis. Police however
blocked the action so demonstrators took their
action to the dam some three kilometers form away.
(Liputan 6, 11/2/2006)
Protests against electricity hikes continue in Solo
Demonstrations against planned basic electricity
rate (TDL) hikes are continuing in Solo, Central
Java. Dozens of protesters from the National Student
League for Democracy (LMND) held an action at the
Gladak roundabout in Solo on February 10. As well as
bringing banners, demonstrators also distributed
leaflets to pedestrians as a way to encourage people
to oppose the increases.
Unlike other demonstrations, the LMND action did not
include speeches. Demonstrators mealy formed up in a
line along the side of the road holding banners,
posters and singing songs of struggle. The
demonstrators accused the government of bringing
suffering to the people. "SBY-JK [President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono-Vice President Jusuf Kalla] are
traitors to the people" read one large banner. They
also urged the government to seek alternative energy
sources in order to overcome the State Electricity
Company’s (PLN) dependency on fossil fuels. (Media
Indonesia, 10/2/2006)
Demos in Java, Sumatra, over electricity rate hikes
Hundreds of non-government organisation and student
activists from various Yogyakarta campuses have
again demonstrated against planned TDL increases. At
an action held at the offices of PLN they set fire
to mockup electricity towers, as protest against a
policy they believed will bring further suffering to
the people.
Students in Lampung, South Sumatra, also
demonstrated against the planned price increases.
Protesters said that the increases are wrong and
will only make things difficult for the people. They
also said it would trigger increases to the price of
basic goods. (Liputan 6, 10/02/2006)
Students protests forced demolition of university
housing
Hundreds of student demonstrators from the Sam
Ratulangi University (Unsrat) in Manado, North
Sulawesi, have demonstrated against Rector Dr Lucky
Sondakh’s plan to forcibly demolish official houses
that are still being lived in by university
lecturers and professors. The demolitions will make
way for an apartment construction project valued at
an 18 billion rupiah.
"We students will unite to thwart the Rector’s
policy that will demolish or execute dozens of
lecturer’s official houses in on the grounds of
Unsrat. This should not be done just to seek profits
from the project when lecturer’s houses will be the
victims. It’s not allowed", said the chairperson of
the medical faculty student senate Jacob Pajan when
speaking to journalists on February 10. (Media
Indonesia, 10/2/2006)
Presidential visit to Bandung greeted by protests
A visit by President Yudhoyono to the West Java
provincial capital of Bandung on February 9 was
greeted by student protests. Actions were held at
five points on the route to the Freedom Building
where the president was attending a commemoration of
the 60th anniversary of National Press Day.
In speeches protesters criticised government
policies that do not side with the people such as
the fuel price increases in October last year and
the planned TDL increases. According to
demonstrators this proves that state-owned
enterprises (BUMN) provide absolutely no benefits to
the people and they therefore called for the PLN and
other BUMNs to be audited. (Liputan 6, 9/2/2006)
Egg throwing students award ’charter of appreciation’
Not content to just throw eggs at the executive
director of PLN Eddie Widiono, on February 7
students returned to the national police
headquarters to give Eddie a "charter of
appreciation" for succeeding in bringing misery on
the people.
Student Movement Against Manipulation of State-Owned
Enterprises (GERAM) symbolically handed over the
“charter of appreciation” in the form of framed
document to police public relations deputy director
Anton Bachrul Alam as journalists were interviewing
him. Eddie was in the process of being questioned by
police investigators over markups in a generator
project.
Students also brought 10 eggs with the names of 10
BUMNs that they consider to be riddled with
corruption. "This symbolises the rottenness of these
BUMNs", GERAM coordinator Andry told journalists.
( Detik.com, 8/2/2006)
Hundreds of students demand investigation of Riau governor
Around 300 students from the Riau Anti-Corruption
Student Alliance ( AMAR) demonstrated at the Riau
police headquarters in Pekanbaru on February 9. They
were calling on the chief of the Riau police to
fully investigate a corruption case involving the
governor of Riau, Rusli Zainal, along with
corruption cases that have taken place in a number
of Riau regencies.
In a speech the students noted that when Zainal had
held the post of the Inhil regent 4.2 billion rupiah
was embezzled from the regional state budget. And
when he became governor there were more and more
corruption cases in Riau. "But up until now the Riau
regional government appears to have terminated the
[investigation into the] case because there was
intervention from the governor", explained one of
the demonstrators. (Detik.com, 8/2/2006)
Fishers in Riau call for prohibition on weighted nets
Around 2000 fishers from the Bantan Bengkalis sub-
district of Riau held a demonstration on the grounds
of the offices of the Bengkalis regent. They were
demanding that the local government issue a bylaw
prohibiting the use of stone weighted nets that they
say destroy the ocean environment.
The thousands of fishers from the Banten Sub-
District Fisher Solidarity (SNKB) were being
assisted by the Riau Indonesian Environment Forum
(Walhi) in demanding that the weighted nets be
prohibited. The deputy director of Walhi Riau,
Muhamad Teguh, told Detik.com that because the
weighted nets reached the seabed they snare the
tinniest fish and damage coral reefs.
SNKB chairperson Abu Samah said that the weighted
nets are no different from large trawling that
catches all types of fish from the smallest to the
largest. "Since the weighted nets have been in
operation, our catch at sea has declined by 80
percent. What we get is only the leftovers that are
not enough to fulfil the necessities of life", said
Samah. ( Detik.com, 8/2/2006)
Workers threaten to close Malioboro shopping mall
Visit Yogyakarta and you can easily find the
Malioboro Mall. But although its name is well known,
the employees of the modern shopping center are
still paid below the minimum provincial wage (UMP).
Employees at the mall are therefore threatening to
close the mall and are demanding that their current
wage of as 400,000 rupiah per month be brought into
line with the Yogyakarta UMP of 460,000 rupiah.
The chairperson of the Malioboro Mall Trade Union,
Gunawanm revealed this when meeting with members of
the Yogyakarta Regional House of Representatives
(DPRD) Commission E on February 7. "So far if we
speak with the management we are always told there
has been no decision. If it continues like this [we]
will not be held back. Don’t be mistaken that we
can’t just close the Malioboro Mall until our
demands are fulfilled", threatened Gunawan.
(Detik.com, 8/2/2006)
Workers in Makassar demand severance pay
A demonstration held by hundreds of PT PT Katingan
Timber Celebes (KTC) workers in the South Sulawesi
provincial capital of Makassar on February 7 ended
in chaos. The demonstrators who were demanding that
the company pay outstanding severance pay scuffled
with security personnel when they tried to break
into the South Sulawesi administration offices.
Demonstrations demanding payment of severance pay
have taken place on numerous occasions. Workers have
even occupied the DPRD and reported the company to
the government. The company has refused to pay
workers because they believe that they have
fulfilled the stipulations of the Department of
Labour. (Liputan 6, 7/2/2006)
Evicted residents demand compensation
Hundreds of local people from Tanjungduren,
Jelambar, West Jakarta, held a demonstration on
February 7. The victims of land evictions by the
West Jakarta government were demanding compensation
for their land. Protesters said they had been living
in constant difficulty since being evicted. (Liputan
6, 7/2/2006)
Students in Semarang demand affordable education
On February 7, a group of students and lectures
demonstrated in the Central Java provincial capital
of Semarang demanding affordable education. The
demonstrators held the action by marching to the
Central Java DPRD and holding a theatrical
performance. The action depicted how the high cost
of education is “strangling” ordinary people.
(Liputan 6, 7/2/2006)
Students in Bandung demand increased education budget
Hundreds of students held a peaceful demonstration
in front of the Sate Building Complex on Jalan
Diponegoro in Bandung on February 7. They were
demanding that that 20 percent of the state budget
be allocated to education. As well as giving
speeches, the demonstrators erected banners
demanding that the government respond to the
Indonesia’s education system that has been left
behind. (Liputan 6, 7/2/2006)
Hundreds demonstrate against electricity hikes in Jakarta
Hundreds of people from the Student Movement for
Justice ( Gema Keadilan) held an action in Jakarta on
February 6 opposing the government’s plan to
increase TDL. At around mid-day the demonstrators
gathered at the Hotel Indonesia roundabout and held
a happening art action circling the roundabout and
erected banners with the message "Reject TDL
increases!".
According to the action coordinator, Yanuar, they
held the demonstration because the financial burdens
on people are already extremely heavy. "We will also
go to the State Palace to report the fate of the
people, because these increase will clearly make
things difficult for them", he said.
The demonstrators are making three demands: That the
government cancel the planned price increases, that
PT PLN be audited as it is a nest of corrupters and
ridden with inefficiency and that the president sack
the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo
Yusgiantoro and the director of PT PLN. ( Detik.com,
6/2/2006)
Medan students on hunger strike over electricity hikes
Six students in the North Sumatra provincial capital
of Medan are holding a hunger strike to demand that
the government cancel the planned TDL increases.
The action was held on February 6 in front of the
North Sumatra Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights
Association (PBHI) offices on in Medan. On the walls
and gates of the buildings and officers near the
hunger strike they had put up posters containing
their demands on the government such as "Reject TDL
increases“and”A full investigation of human rights
violations and the murder of Munir".
The action coordinator, Viktor Sinaga, declared that
the hunger strike would continue until the
government fulfilled their demands. "The TDL
increase is the same as the policy to import rice
and the fuel price increases. In essence it will
only bring suffering to the people", he said.
(Detik.com, 6/2/2006)
East Java teachers demand increased education budget
Around 500 teachers from the Indonesian Teachers
Union (PGRI) held a demonstration at the East Java
DPRD on February 6. Protesters were demanding that
the plan to allocate 20 percent of the state budget
to education be realised.
"Education in Indonesia will forever be left far
behind if the government doesn’t pay attention to
the allocation of a larger budget", said East Java
PGRI chair Matadjit. The teachers who represented
almost all the regencies of East Java brought dozens
of posters demanding an education budget of 20
percent. (Media Indonesia, 6/2/2006)
Jakarta demonstration demands ministers’ resignation
Dozens of demonstrators from the Indonesian Social
Movement for Political Legal and Human Rights
Education (Gempita) held a demonstration on February
6 at the rear gates of the House of Representatives
(DPR) in Jakarta. They were demanding that the
Minister for Justice and Human Rights Hamid
Awaluddin and the ministry’s general secretary
Hasanuddin resign from their posts.
In a statement Gempita accused Awaluddin of
violating Government Regulation Number 32/2005 on
the Provision of Goods and Services. Gempita said
they had information that the department appointed
PT Mustika Data Mas as the provider of an integrated
passport photo system without public tender. They
therefore demanded that the 104 immigration offices
across Indonesia and 19 representative offices
overseas reject the project. (Tempo Interactive -
6/2/2006)
Lively protests across Java against electricity hikes
Actions opposing the planed increases to TDL spread
across the country on February 2. Students in
Bandung for example, gathered signatures on a white
cloth in a protest on the grounds of the West Java
DPRD. A number of DPRD members were called on to
sign the petition however only DPRD speaker Rudi
Harsa Tanaya was prepared to do so.
A group of students in Semarang demonstrated at the
local PT PLN offices. The action almost ended in a
clash when students tried to storm the PLN offices.
In a speech protesters said that the PLN management
throughout Indonesia should be dismissed because
they are incapable of managing the company properly.
A demonstration was also held by students in
Makassar on the grounds of the South Sulawesi DPRD
and the local PLN offices. As well as erecting
banners opposing the planned increase to TDL the
students also gave speeches urging assembly members
to opposes the planned hikes.
In Kendari, Central Sulawesi, at least 100 local
people went to the offices of the Kendari deputy-
mayor, Masyhur Masie Abunawas, to demand that he
oppose the increases to TDL that are estimated to be
as much as 90 percent. (Liputan 6 - 3/2/2006)
Demonstrations across the country against electricity hikes
Social organisations across the country have gone
out into the streets to urge the government to
cancel the planned increases to TDL. On February 2
in Surabaya, East Java, a group of students
demonstrated against the hikes at the East Java
governor’s offices. They also demanded an audit of
PLN whose poor performance has burdened ordinary
people.
In Medan meanwhile, hundreds of students
demonstrated against the TDL increases by holding a
convoy from the Independence Square to the North
Sumatra DPRD. According to the demonstrators, the
government should maintain subsidies for the poor.
After being received by assembly members, the
students marched to the Medan City PLN offices where
that issued a statement that they would refuse to
pay electricity bills if PLN persists in increasing
TDL.
Students held a similar action in Bandung where they
held a demonstrated at the DPRD supported by 1
million signatures on an 80-meter banner. Only one
assembly member however was prepared to add their
signature. (Liputan 6, 2/2/2006)
East Java students reject electricity rate hikes
Members of the Indonesian Islamic Student Movement
and other social organisations held a demonstration
at the Mojokerto PLN offices in East Java on
February 2. They declared the opposition to the
planned increases to TDL that they believe will
bring further suffering to ordinary people.
A clash even broke out when police refused a request
by demonstrators to meet with the head of the
Mojokerto PLN. The demonstrators finally gave in
when they were asked to produce a demonstration
permit from the police. In the end they continued
the action at the Mojokerto DPRD. (Liputan 6,
2/2/2006)
****************************************************
The INDOLEFT news service is produced by the
Indonesian Centre for Reform and Social
Emancipation (INCREASE) and Action in Solidarity
with Asia and the Pacific.
E-mail: jamesbalowski yahoo.com