Thousand rally outside Merdeka Palace against fuel price hike plan

Jakarta, NU Online
Thousands of people representing various elements in society rallied in Jalan Merdeka Utara in front of the Merdeka Palace on Wednesday to protest against the government`s plan to raise fuel oil prices.

Some 2,000 demonstrators made up of students, workers and non-governmental organization members converged on the palace from different directions.<>

A demonstrator from the Jabodetabek Student Council (DMJ) called on his fellow protesters to keep their rally peaceful and to stay alert to possible provocations (to commit destructive acts).

Demonstrators coordinated by the Indonesian Muslim Students Action Front (KAMMI) carried two bouquets to indicate they were in a state of "mourning."

The students called on the government to lower the prices of daily necessaries, nationalize strategic assets and stop privatization of state companies, arrest corrupters and seize their assets.

The protest rallies caused heavy traffic jams in a number of streets and the police had to close Jalan Merdeka Barat.

Meanwhile, hundreds of students grouped in the All-Indonesia Student Executive Board (BEM SI) staged a rally in front of the House of Representatives (DPR) building to demand that House members sign a document containing seven points which they called the Seven People`s Demands (Tugu Rakyat).

The seven demands were nationalization of national assets, affordable education and health services, legal followup actions to settle the BLBI (Bank Indonesia Liquidity Assistance) cases, recovery of the nation`s sovereignty, sufficient and affordable supply of basic necessaries, continuation of the reform movement and measures to save the environment. (ant/dar)