Students protesting Freeport burn photos of
president

A demonstration on April 3 calling for the closure
of PT Freeport in the South Sulawesi regional
capital of Makassar was almost marred by a clash
when students burnt photographs of President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY).

The action by around 30 students from the Front for
Papuan Sovereignty (FKP) was demanding that either
PT Freeport be closed immediately or that Yudhoyono
resign. "We are only offering two options, Freeport
be closed or SBY resigns", said action coordinator
Ilyar who comes from Papua.

The action began peacefully with students giving
speeches near the gates of the regional military
command. They then moved back on to the street where
Ilyas brought out a photograph of Yudhoyono that was
then burnt.

Security personnel responded by trying to break
though a circle that had been formed by students
with protesters and police pushing and shoving each
other as police tried to grab other photographs.
Police were finally able to retrieve the photographs
and the students scattered in panic. (Detik.com,
3/4/2006)

Makassar residents protest planned one-way-street

Plans by the Makassar city government to turn Jl.
Sungai Saddang Baru into a one-way-street have been
opposed by hundreds of residents and shop owners who
say it will influence their income.

On the morning of April 4 residents bloated the road
for a length of one kilometer by setting up wood
roadblocks at each end and setting fire to tyres.
Carrying banners and posters, some 150 protesters
then rallied to the South Sulawesi Regional House of
Representatives (DPRD) to call on assembly members
to meet with them and hear their complaints.
(Detik.com, 4/4/2006)

Thousands of Medan workers protests labour law
revisions

Thousands of workers from in the North Sumatra city
of Medan organised a demonstration against planned
revisions to the labour law on April 4.

Around 1,500 workers from the Indonesian Prosperity
Trade Union Federation gathered at Independence
Square then carrying posters and banners they
marched to the governor’s office. There they held
speeches opposing the revisions that they said would
only benefit employers and trample on workers’
rights. (Detik.com, 3/4/2006)

Workers occupy East Java regional parliament

Actions opposing planned revisions to the labour law
are continuing with around 2,000 workers occupying
the DPRD in the East Java provincial capital of
Semarang on April 4.

The action by workers from various parts of East
Java including Magelang, Semarang, Karanganyar and
Pekalongan began in the Simpang Lima area. They then
took trucks and busses or walked on foot to the DPRD
bringing traffic in the centre of Semarang to a
standstill.

Upon arriving at the DPRD building they immediately
moved toward the front gates where dozens of
security personnel prevented them from entering.
Protesters responded by spreading out and cordoning
off the DPRD.

After negotiations with police and DPRD security
staff, a number of workers were finally allowed to
enter where they met with met with DPRD speaker
Murdoko and a number assembly members. Satisfied
with the outcome of the dialogue, the protesters
left the DPRD at around 12.30pm. (Detik.com,
3/4/2006)

East Kalimantan students protest corruption

Dozens of students from the Youth and Students Anti-
Corruption Coalition (KPMA) demonstrated at the East
Kalimantan chief public prosecutors’ office in
Samarinda on April 5. They were demanding that a
suspected corruption case involving the release of
land in the North Penajam Paser regency be
investigated.

Protesters said that law enforcement agencies were
not serious about dealing with the case as
demonstrated by the release of AR, a suspect that
had previously been detained by the East Kalimantan
police. They believe that AR who is also a
businessperson, was actually sacrificed in order to
protect government officials. (Liputan 6, 5/4/2006)

Residents demand investigation of corruption case

Hundreds of residents from the Bolaang Mongondow
Social Alliance in North Sulawesi demonstrated at
the offices of the Kotamobagu state prosecutor on
April 5 demanding that the public prosecutor
investigate the embezzlement of as much as 21
billion rupiah from the Bolaang Mongondow regency’s
state budget. (Liputan 6, 5/4/2006)

South Sumatra students protest fee increases

Around 500 activists from the Sriwijaya University
Student Executive Council (BEM) in Palembang went to
the governor’s office and the South Sumatra DPRD on
April 5 to express their opposition to education
management contribution (SPP) increases of as much
as 308%.

The protester who were mostly second and fourth
semester students, brought pamphlets and banners
with messages such as "Reject the capitalist
campus“,”Reject SPP increases“and”Where is the
government’s promise to increase education funding
to 20%".

They also questioning the university’s management of
education funds saying that it was neither open nor
transparent. They called for an audit to be
conducted saying improvements to management had to
be made before any SPP increases are instituted.
(Detik.com, 6/4/2006)

Muna Island residents burn ID cards

Dozens of residents from Muna Island in South-East
Sulawesi who are demanding the formation of a new
regency burnt their ID cards on April 5. The
residents were angry because they believe that the
Muna Island regent, Ridwan Bae, has neglected the
six sub-districts of Muna. In particular residents
cited that lack of development and job
opportunities.

Meanwhile thousands of Muna Island residents camped
overnight at the grounds of the South-East Sulawesi
DPRD. The protesters said that they were determined
to remain until their demands are met and have even
setup a public kitchen on the site. (Liputan 6,
5/4/2006)

Residents blockade Pertamina depot in North Sulawesi

Hundreds of people from Bitung regency who say they
are the hereditary beneficiaries of land owners
blockaded the front gate of a depot owned by the
state-owned oil company Pertamina in North Sulawesi
on April 4. As a result of the action, fuel
distribution was paralyzed and by nightfall petrol
stations in Manado, Minahasa and Bitung had run out
of fuel.

The residents - who said they were descendants of
Dotu Simon Todus - setup tents on the road in front
of the depot preventing fuel trucks from leaving.
The blockade ended after the local police chief held
negotiations with the residents. Residents had
earlier threatened to sue Pertamina and the North
Sulawesi government over the case. (Liputan 6,
5/4/2006)

Workers rock Malang

More that 5,000 workers from various organisations
in Malang, East Java, spilled out onto city streets
on April 5 in protest against planned revisions to
the labour law.

The action, which was held at the Malang regional
government offices and the DPRD, created traffic
jams along Jl. Protokol. Workers also distributed
pamphlets with an invitation to oppose the revisions
and held a theatrical action depicting collusion
between the government and employers. "Workers must
to submit to the wishes of the government and
employers", said a protester playing the part of an
employer.

Later, during a meeting with workers, DPRD member
Priyatmoko Utomo said that they supported the
workers demands and would compose a letter opposing
the revisions that would be sent to the House of
Representatives (DPR). (Tempo Interactive, 5/4/2006)

Papua students call on government to close Freeport

Around 500 Papuan students from Java and Bali held a
demonstration in front of the State Palace in
Central Jakarta on April 5. The spokesperson for the
action, Zeli Harizone, said that the demonstration
was an effort to show that the root causes of the
problems in Papua lie with Freeport. "We want to
take the problem back to its true roots, that is the
problem of Freeport", she said.

The protesters made five demands on the government:
the total closure of PT Freeport, a thorough
investigation of human rights violations in the
Timika and Abepura cases, a national and
international dialogue to resolve the Papua
question, the unconditional release of arrested
United West Papua Popular Struggle Front (Pepera)
activists and the complete withdrawal of all non-
organic TNI (Indonesian military) and police from
Papua.

According to Pepera spokesperson Arkilaus Baho,
there are currently 300 activists in Papua that have
been forced to flee into the jungles. "They were
forced to leave because during the incident in
Abepura, it was the Papua Front that was deemed to
have been responsible", said Baho. (Tempo
Interactive, 5/4/2006)

Workers go home, PRD arrives

It was like a relay race, that was the picture
conveyed by the demonstrations in Jakarta today.
After workers had finished demonstrating over
planned revisions to the labour law, protesters from
the People’s Democratic Party (PRD) arrived to take
up the issue of Papua and Freeport.

By 4.20pm workers who had marched from the State
Place to the Hotel Indonesia roundabout ended their
action and disbanded in an orderly manner. Five
minutes later, hundreds of PRD members arrived and
began demonstrating. This time banners and flags
dominated by the colour red adorned the roundabout.
Police, who already begun to relax, were forced to
return to work regulating traffic.

The PRD demonstrators shouted slogans such as “Close
Freeport now” and sung songs of struggle. They
called on the government to immediately resolve the
Papua question by ending the contract with PT
Freeport. As of 5pm the action was still continuing.
(Detik.com, 5/4/2006)

Maluku workers clash with police, six inured

Thousands of workers from the Djayanti Group plywood
factory in the West Seram regency of Maluku
protested on April 6. The protesters were demanding
payment of overdue wages for the last five months. A
representative of the company however insisted that
they were only owed two months wages.

The demonstration was marred by a clash when police
tried to break up the action. Police and workers
ended up chasing each other resulting in one officer
and five workers being injured. The clash only ended
after the West Seram police chief arrived and
promised to arrange a meeting between workers and
the company management. (Liputan 6, 6/4/2006)

Protesters in Makassar almost ends in clash with
police

A joint demonstration that was held by residents and
students at the offices of the Maros regent in South
Sulawesi on April 6 almost ended in a clash.

The action by around 200 residents and students from
Muhammadiyah University BEM was demanding that the
Maros regional government resolve the issue of
compensation for residents that had been moved off
their land to make way for the expansion of the
Hasanuddin Airport.

Residents said that the government was only supposed
to have cleared 431 hectares of land but in fact had
taken over 531 hectares. They also said that the
government had not paid them the agreed amount and
intimidated some residents in to accepting less
money.

Despite the heavy rain, it failed to dampen the
enthusiasm of the protesters and the atmosphere
became heated when they began demanding that the
Maros regent, Najamuddin, come out to meet with
them.

Police then formed a blockade preventing the
protesters from entering the office grounds. As a
result protesters and police began pushing and
shoving each other and the fence surround the office
was damaged. The situation only calmed down after 10
representatives were allowed to meet with the regent
who promised to accommodate their demands.
(Detik.com, 6/4/2006)

Former Texmaco employees demand outstanding
severance pay

Around 200 former Texmaco employees demonstrated at
the department of finance in central Jakarta on
April 4 over the company’s failure to fulfil
outstanding severance pay obligations from three
years ago.

"We demand to be paid outstanding severance pay for
11,000 employees of as much as 91 billion rupiah",
said the former head of the Texmaco Leather Clothing
Textile Work Unit, Muhammad Amin, during a break in
the protest.

The workers had wanted to meet with the secretary
general of the department of finance, JB Kristiadi
because he is also the head of the team handing the
Texmaco case, however they were only received by
head of the legal division Hadianto. Around 20
police officers could be seen watching guard over
the action although it cause little traffic
congestion. (Detik.com, 6/4/2006)

Protest by taxi drivers in Bandung marred by brawl

The dispute between taxi fleets in the West Java
provincial capital of Bandung remains unresolved
with around 200 Bandung taxi drivers demonstrating
at the mayor’s offices on April 7.

The drivers are demanding that the mayor withdrawal
the operational license for Blue Bird taxis from
Jakarta whose presence has cut into their incomes.
"We object to the payment system ala Blue Bird. They
don’t use the set tariff so passengers choose them",
said one of the drivers.

The drivers began their action at 8am parking their
taxis along the length of Jl. Aceh forcing police to
close off part of the road and bringing traffic to a
crawl. The action was marred by a brawl when an
intelligence officer tried to detain an activist
from the Indonesian Youth Solidarity Movement
(GSPI). Police later arrested the agent. (Detik.com,
7/4/2006)

Residents blockade road after TNI demolishes house

Hundreds of residents from Pasuruan blockaded the
northern beach road to Probolinggo, East Java, on
April 6 using a wagon filled with bamboo. The action
was trigged after the navy demolished a resident’s
home on the grounds that it had been built on land
owned by the military.

Police attempted to persuade the protesters to end
the blockade but met tough resistance. Residents
finally reopened the road after Pasuruan regent
Jusbakir arrived and promised to listen to their
demands.

A local military commander meanwhile denied that his
officers had acted violently against residents but
admitted that a Navy circular had been issue to the
village head about prohibitions on building on navy
land. (Liputan 6, 7/4/2006)

Honorary teachers in Cirebon complain to DPRD

Hundreds of honorary teachers protested at the
Cirebon DPRD in West Java on April 6 over civil
service entrance exams that they believe are unfair.
They said that the government has paid no attention
to the welfare of honorary employees that have
served in public schools for decades. (Liputan 6,
7/4/2006)

Kendari residents demonstrate over cash subsidies

Dozens of poor residents from the city of Kendari in
South-East Sulawesi demonstrated at the local
offices of the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) on
April 6. They were angry because the BPS had not
distributed cards for direct cash subsides to
compensate for recent fuel price hikes. This was
despite the fact that they had already been
registered with their respective village
administrative units. (Liputan 6, 7/4/2006)

East Java farmers demand cheap fertilizer

Around 300 farmer from a number of sub-districts in
the Lamongan regency demonstrated at the East Java
DPRD on April 6 demanding cheap fertilizer.

The farmers, who were from the Indonesian Farmers
Union (SPI) and the National Peasants Union (STN),
almost clashed with police when they forced their
way into the DPRD. Police were able to hold them
back and the situation calmed down after
representatives were allowed into the building.

This is the second protest held by Lamongan farmers.
On April 3 they held an action at a fertilizer depot
owned by PT Petrokimia Gresik in Deket. According to
action coordinator M. Ali, the price of urea
fertilizer should be 52,000 rupiah but it is being
sold on the market for between 105-110,000 rupiah.
“And even then, fertilizer is hard to find”, he
said. (Tempo Interactive, 7/4/2006)