Protests Hit Indonesia Nationwide Over Price Hikes
Students protest against the government’s decision of raising fuel prices
By IslamOnline’s Correspondent in South Asia Kazi Mahmood
JAKARTA, Jan. 19 (IslamOnline) - Widespread protest against the fuel price hike hit the capital of Indonesia on Friday January 18, 2002, creating heavy traffic congestion in many parts of the city, reports said.
The country braced for nationwide protests related to fuel price hikes that would affect electricity rates.
Students from the All-Indonesia Student Executive Body staged their protest at the People's Consultative Assembly/House of Representatives (MPR/DPR) building in Central Jakarta.
They continued their speeches late in the evening, calling on the government not to raise the price of fuel and also to scrap the plan to raise electricity and telephone rates.
Meanwhile, hundreds of students staged similar protests at the State Academy of Islamic Studies (IAIN) Campus in Ciputat, South Jakarta and in the Diponegoro and Salemba areas of Central Jakarta.
Traffic built up along the Gatot Subroto road in addition to the normal afternoon peak congestion.
Following Wednesday night's fuel price increase, security in Bali remained relatively stable on Thursday, a senior police officer said, despite report that there might be trouble in the province.
However business at most of the province's gasoline stations was normal but the authorities had taken extreme security measures to prepare for a backlash.
Separately, the head of the local branch of state gas and oil company Pertamina, Wisnuntoro, confirmed that business was normal at all 81 gas stations in Bali.
The only sign of resentment over the fuel price hike was a peaceful demonstration by 70 students in Denpasar's Puputan Badung Square. The students were from state Udayana University and private Warmadewa University.
They denounced the fuel price hike, and a planned electricity rate increase. However they also demanded the current administration immediately seize the assets of former president Suharto and his cronies.
"The assets in turn should be used to subsidize fuel prices," they said.
The BEM students in Jakarta also burned an effigy of House Speaker Akbar Tandjung as a "show of support for a full investigation and legal processing of the 1999 Bulog scandal".
Before reaching the legislative building, the group toured the capital by staging protest in the Salemba area of Central Jakarta and at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle.
Also protesting the fuel price hike at the MPR/DPR building were members of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI).
