Thousand of protesters to oppose capital investment
law

Plans by the House of Representatives (DPR) to
ratify the Draft Law on Capital Investment into law
on March 29 has attracted strong reactions from the
public with thousands of activists planning to take
to the streets to protest.

One of the social organisations that will be
protesting is the National Liberation Party of Unity
(Papernas), which will mobilising around 3,000
protesters at the Shangri-La Hotel in Central
Jakarta.

"President Susilo Bambang Yudhohoyono will be
attending a Millenium Development Goals meeting at
the Shangri-La. So we are aiming directly at the
government as the one that proposed the draft law",
said the head of Papernas’ advisory board, Dita
Indah Sari when contacted by Detik.com on Thursday
morning.

According to Dita, the action will also demonstrate
to Yudhoyono just how much ordinary people oppose
the draft law. "If it is ratified, foreign investors
can moving in 100 percent into a number of sectors",
she said.

In addition to Papernas, the Workers Challenge
Alliance (ABM) and a number of other groups have
united to oppose the draft law in an action that
will be centered at the DPR building in Senayan,
South Jakarta.

FPI and FBR besiege Proclamation Monument

Around 500 people from the Betawi Brotherhood Forum
(FBR) and the Islamic Defenders Front (FBI) have
taken control of the Proclamation Monument in
Central Jakarta in order to intercept a declaration
by the National Liberation Party of Unity
(Papernas).

Papernas plans to hold the declaration at 3pm today.
Former President Abdurrahman Wahid is to attend the
event.

The FPI members, most of whom were wearing white
concentrated on the left of the entrance to the
monument while the FBR members who were wearing
black took control of the right side, had been
waiting since 10am.

A large banner had been erected reading "PAPERNAS =
PRD = A new form of communism. Ban and destroy“,”Say no to this new form of communism“.”Uphold
Pancasila, the 1945 Constitution and Law No.
27/1999, destroy the new form of communism in
Indonesia“(1) and”This is Indonesia brother, not a
part of the US". They also handed out green leaflets
containing anti-communist propaganda and calling on
all religious communities to exterminate communism.

FPI attacks Papernas demonstrators

Hundreds of FPI members have attacked Papernas
demonstrators in the heart of Jakarta on Jl.
Sudirman after moving off from the Proclamation
Monument where they had been gathering with members
of the FBR.

Riding motorbikes and open pickup trucks they moved
off at around 11.10am aiming to break up a rally by
Papernas who they heard were gathering at the Hotel
Indonesia roundabout. "We’re hunting communists. We
heard they are gathering at a particular place",
said one of the FPI members.

Arriving suddenly at the Landmark Building, they ran
into the Papernas demonstrators who were arriving in
scores of Metro Mini busses from Block M in South
Jakarta. The FBI members immediately ran across Jl.
Sudirman and began pelting the Papernas convoy with
rocks.

FBR members meanwhile remained at the Proclamation
Monument to intercept the Papernas declaration that
is to be held at 3pm.

Heavy downpour at Sudirman, FPI disperses

By mid-day heavy rain began falling in Central
Jakarta and the FPI members who had recently clashed
with Papernas disbanded and sought shelter. A short
time later they left the location.

All that is visible is the aftermath of the clash
such as shattered glass from the Metro Mini bus
convoy. Traffic heading north towards the Hotel
Indonesia roundabout was congested and moving at a
crawl.

At around 12.30pm four Metro Mini busses appeared
and parked at Dukuh Atas. These were members of
Anti-Communist Solidarity (SAK). SAK action
coordinator Habib Novel Al Habsi said they were
waiting for other demonstrators to arrive and would
then move of to the Proclamation Monument.

Most of the Papernas demonstrators meanwhile who had
sought shelter among the buildings along the length
of Jl. Sudirman.

Papernas demonstrators afraid to return home

Demonstrators from the Urban Poor Union (SRMK), one
of the organisations affiliated with Papernas, are
still seeking shelter at the Muamalat Bank Building
on Jl. Sudirman.

“We want to go home, but are afraid”, said one of
the women. Others said they were awaiting
instructions from the action coordinator before
moving. “We are afraid of being attacked again”,
they said, adding that they did not know where the
FPI members were at the moment.

One of the women said that they had planned to
demonstrate over the issue of free healthcare and
education and said that they held a protest earlier
at the National Education Department offices and
were also planning another demonstration at the
World Bank.

Papernas members injured in attack

As consequence of the attack by FBI at least three
Papernas supporters were injured. Papernas is still
checking if other members have been hurt.

"We have received data that three people were
injured. But this is provisional data. We are stick
checking, because after being attacked, our members
scattered", said the head of Papernas’ legal and
human rights division, Iwan Dwielaksono, when
contacted by Detik.com.

As of 3.20pm, Iwan and other Papernas members were
still in Jl. Sudirman area although the whereabouts
of other protesters is unclear. Most of the Papernas
demonstrators were housewives and women. "Ninety
percent of our members are women, they became
frightened when attacked. After that they sought
safety. We are still looking for them, but have been
held up by the rain", said Iwan.

Iwan said that there were as many as 2,000 Papernas
demonstrators in the convey that was headed towards
the Shangri-La Hotel where an economic forum was
being held at which they had planned to demand the
abolition of the foreign debt. But upon arriving at
the hotel, they were attacked by the FPI.

According to Iwan, after the Shangri-La, they had
planned to go to the Department of Labour to support
a labour demonstration. Following this they were to
go to the Proclamation Monument to hold a mass
rally.

Given the attack, Iwan was unsure if the rally would
still go ahead or not. "Our peaceful action was
actually to demand prosperity for the people and to
demand free education. So, I feel there has been a
systematic effort to close down our event", he said.

Four people detained by police

Four people found to have thrown rocks and brought
stones to the clash between the FPI and Papernas
have been taken into custody by the Tanah Abang
sectoral police.

"Yes, we arrested them and we took them into
custody", said the head of the Tanah Abang criminal
investigation section, Iptu Ariyono when speaking
with Detik.com. However Ariyono was not able to
confirm if those arrest are members of FPI.

The FPI and Papernas clashed in the Dukuh Atas area
of Central Jakarta on Jl. Sudirman at around 11am.
As a result of the incident, a number of Papernas
members were injured. Fortunately police quickly
diffused the clash so casualties were minimized.