East Kalimantan coal mine workers demand unpaid
wages

Dozens of coal mine workers from Loa Tebu in the
Kutai Kartanegara regency of East Kalimantan
demonstrated on April 9 demanding the payment of
outstanding wages. They also opposed planned
revisions to the labor law that they said will
seriously harm to workers, particularly in the
context of many mining companies already planning to
reduce the size of their workforces. (Liputan 6,
10/4/2006)

Love of peace action held in Central Jakarta

Around 250 people from the Love of Peace Movement
(Genta) campaigned at the Hotel Indonesia roundabout
in Central Jakarta on April 9. The group was
expressing its concern over the state of the nation
that is deteriorating due to violence and conflict.
They expressed the hope that different sections of
Indonesian society can respect each other and avoid
conflict.

The participants, carrying banners calling for
peace, held a procession circling the roundabout
accompanied with the strains of traditional music
from different parts of the country. Participants
also handed out roses to pedestrians. (Liputan 6,
10/4/2006)

Vice president greeted by protests in East Java

The arrival of Vice President Jusuf Kalla in the
East Java town of Ponorogo was on April 10 was
greeted by protests. Kalla was visiting Ponorogo to
officiate over the 80^th anniversary of the Modern
Gontor Pesantren (traditional Islamic boarding
school).

Initially, students gathered at the Jabung
intersection around a kilometer from the Pesantren.
When students attempted to approach the event,
police who had been taunted and insulted by the
angry students blockaded them. After some 30
minutes, the students attempted to break though the
police cordon resulting in four injuries. (Liputan
6, 10/4/2006)

Thousands demand stay of execution for Poso Three

Around 3,000 Catholic Church members supported by
the East Indonesia Fraternity Forum (FPIT) held
demonstrations at the North Sulawesi Regional House
of Representatives (DPRD), the offices of the public
prosecutor, the governor and the Philippines
Consulate General in Manado on April 11.

The protesters were calling on President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono, the Supreme Court and the police
to postpone the execution of three death row
convicts convicted over the Poso riots. According to
action coordinator Luki Senduk, the court hearing on
March 9 proved that the three were not involvement
in the riots. (Detik.com, 11/4/2006)

Bandung taxi drivers demonstrate again

On April 11, more than a thousand taxi drivers from
a number of different companies again demonstrated
at the West Java DPRD in Bandung. They were
demanding that the city administration revoke the
operational license for Blue Bird taxis from Jakarta
that they say are cutting into their incomes.

The drivers had wanted to meet with the Bandung
mayor but met instead with the deputy speaker of the
DPRD, Husni Muttaqin, who promised that they could
meet with the deputy mayor later in the afternoon.
Drivers said that they planned to camp out at the
DPRD. Two Blue Bird taxis were damaged during the
action although there were no casualties in the
incident. This is the fifth protest action by the
drivers. (Kompas Cyber Media, 11/4/2006)

Students launch hunger strike at State Palace

Hundreds of students from the National Student
League for Democracy (LMND) protested at the State
Palace in Central Jakarta on April 11. They were
criticising government policies that they say have
hurt ordinary people and are depleting the country’s
natural energy resources. The protesters plan to
hold a three-day hunger strike. (Kompas Cyber Media,
11/4/2006)

East Java workers protest Yudhoyono over labour law
revisions

Thousands of workers from the National Trade Union
(SPN) inundated the grounds of the East Java DPRD in
Surabaya on April 11. The workers came from a number
parts of East Java including Gresik, Sidoarjo,
Pasuruan, Mojokerto and Surabaya.

In speeches they questioned Yudhoyono’s motives over
the revisions of the labour law. Protesters were
only able to give speeches in front of the DPRD as
around 500 officers from the Surabaya municipal
police tightly guarded the building. As of going to
print the demonstration was still continuing with
worker representatives planning to meet later with
members of the assembly. (Liputan 6, 11/4/2006)

Solo street traders protest forced removal from city
centre

Hundreds of street traders from the Solo City Street
Traders Communication Forum (FKPKLKS) in Central
Java demonstrated at the Gladak roundabout in Solo
on April 12. They were demanding that the Solo
municipal government end the forced removal of
traders in the central city area around Jl.
Protokol. (Liputan 6, 12/4/2006)

Timber factory workers in Padang demand severance
pay

Hundreds of former workers and employees from the
timber factory PT Khage Lestari Timber demonstrated
at the Ulu Gadut Padang factory in Padang, West
Sumatra, on April 12. They were demanding that the
company honour outstanding severance pay
obligations. (Liputan 6, 12/4/2006)

Villagers protest delays in direct cash subsidy
disbursements

On April 13, hundreds of residents from 25 villages
in Banjarharjo demonstrated in the Central Java town
of Brebes over delays in the disbursement of direct
cash subsidies. The protesters were also expressed
concern over village officials taking deductions
from the subsidies. (Liputan 6, 12/4/2006)

North Maluku residents demand division of sub-
district

Around 300 residents of Selat Capalulu in the Sula
Islands of North Maluku demonstrated at the offices
of the Sula regent and the DPRD in Sanana City on
April 12. They were urging the government and
people’s representatives to immediately split West
Mongoli into two sub-districts because West Mongoli
City is located at the Falabi Sahaya village and can
only be reached by boat. (Liputan 6, 12/4/2006)

Students and workers in Bali demand labour law be
revoked

Dozens of students and workers in the Balinese
capital city of Denpasar protested at the governor’s
office and the Bali DPRD on April 12. They were
demanding that Law Number 13/2003 on Labour be
revoked because they believe that it exploits
workers and said that it needs to be replaced by a
new law that sides with workers. (Liputan 6,
12/4/2006)

Malang automobile workers in protest outsourcing

Around 700 workers from the automobile factory PT
Adi Putro in the East Java city of Malang went on
strike on April 12. They were opposing labour
contract systems that has been put into place by the
company and demanding a wage increase. The action
brought the company’s activities to a complete
standstill.

Strike coordinator Usep Sucipto said that three
months earlier the company began outsourcing some 50
workers in the core production section which
violates the labour law. "Workers wages were not
increased because they were used instead by the
management for outsourcing", he said.

Worker representatives had already held negotiations
with the company management who said that they had
begun outsourcing because production had declined.
The action proceeded peacefully with the protesters
simply sitting on the factory grounds. "We will stay
on strike until the demands are met", said Sucipto.
(Tempo Interactive, 12/4/2006)

Former Securicor workers protest at British Embassy

After first protesting at the State Palace, around
50 former employees of the British owned company PT
Securicor Indonesia “dropped” by the British Embassy
in Central Jakarta on April 12. They were asking for
support in order to get the company to pay them
outstanding severance pay.

Upon arriving at the Embassy, protesters immediately
tried to enter but were stopped by around 40 police
officers guarding the action. "We came to the
British Embassy to ask for support so that PT
Securicor pay five times the calculated period of
employment as severance pay for dismissing us
arbitrarily one year ago", said Edi, one of the
demonstrators.

According to Edi some 259 Securicor employees were
victims of the mass dismissal. "We won in the courts
and the case is currently being at the level of an
appeal to the Supreme Court", he said. Protesters
eventually left the Embassy at around 3.30pm.

Students demand nationalisation of foreign companies

Dozens of students from the Mataram State Institute
of Islamic Studies under the coordination of Achmad
Herwandi demonstrated on April 13. The protesters
were demanding the nationalisation of foreign
companies in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) such as PT
Newmont and an end to repressive actions by the
company against the public.

"The industrial mining activities in Sumbawa Island
have the potential to bring with it ever worse
damage", said Herwandi in Mataram. He said that the
adverse impacts of PT Newmont’s activities have
already begun to be noticeable such as damage to
forests, the loss of biological diversity and the
public’s access to economic resources such as
natural water sources. (Kompas Cyber Media,
13/04/2006)

Former Texmaco employees protest in Jakarta

After an earlier action at the offices of the
People’s Information Center (Lira) in Tebet, South
Jakarta, around 300 former Texmaco employees
launched a demonstration at the department of labour
and transmigration on April 13. The workers have
been involved in a long-term dispute with Texmaco
over outstanding severance pay.

The former employees targeted Lira because they
believe it has failed to keep a promise to assist
them in the resolving the severance pay dispute
valued at 150 billion rupiah.

The head of the Texmaco Group Trade Union Forum,
Ahmad Sopari, threatened that they would continue to
demonstrate if the company does not pay them. "So
far the employees have been quite patient. Keeping
silent for more than three years, holding themselves
back from anarchic behaviour, but we has still not
obtained a positive response [from the company]",
said Sopari. (Detik.com, 13/4/2006)

Students clash with police over water rate hikes

A protest by hundreds of students from the Khairun
University in Ternate, North Maluku on April 12
ended in a clash with police. The incident occurred
when protesters refused to reopen the road to the
Sultan Baabullah Airport that they had blockaded in
protest over increase to drinking water rates.

When police tried to break up the demonstration,
students pelted them with rocks. They even failed to
heed warning shots by police. Eventually police
forcibly dispersed the demonstrators pursuing some
into the Khairun University campus where students
again pelted them with stones. As a result of the
incident six students and three police officers were
injured. (Liputan 6, 12/4/2006)

Protests against labour law revisions continue in
Bitung

A protest against planned revisions to the labour
law was held by hundreds of workers in Bitung, North
Sulawesi, on April 13. During their action at the
Bitung DPRD, they called on assembly members to
respond to their opposition to the draft law. The
protest finally ended after DPRD members promised to
convey their demands to the central government in
Jakarta. (Liputan 6, 13/4/2006)

Hundreds protest corruption in Tegal

Hundreds of protesters demonstrated at the Tegal
police headquarters and the Tegal prosecutor’s
offices in Central Java on April 13. The action was
held to demand that a number of corruption cases
involving the Tegal regional government be
investigated.

According to the protesters, there are at least
seven corruption cases that are suspected to involve
the former speaker of the Tegal DPRD, Agus Riyanto
and a number of other assembly members. They said
there were also a number of unresolved corruption
cases involving other government agencies in Tegal.
(Liputan 6, 13/4/2006)

Honorary teachers demonstrate in Bandung

Hundreds of honorary teachers from various schools
in Bandung demonstrated at the West Java DPRD on the
afternoon of April 13. They were demanding that the
government acknowledged the existence of honorary
teachers since during the recent intake of civil
servants they were unable to sit the exam. Honorary
teachers were refused for a number of reasons they
have therefore gained the ingression that the
government is refusing to acknowledge them. (Liputan
6, 14/4/2006)