Student demonstrations against fuel price hike staged in large cities

Hundreds of students staged protest rallies in Indonesia?s large cities on Thursday following the government?s move of raising fuel prices late Wednesday, which was meant to ease the burden of this year?s state budget. The students complained that the price hike, by 22 percent on average, was too burdensome for most people in the country who had also been forced to pay for electricity and telephone at higher tariffs.

Moreover, like in the past, fuel price hike will no doubt trigger an increase in transportation costs and the price of other commodities, thus creating even heavier burdens for low income people. The Indonesian people had already suffered from three years of economic hardships. Actually, the government had been warned that student demonstrations against fuel price hike would occur if it went ahead with its plan.

In Jakarta, hundreds of students from different universities who were grouped in Front Kota (City Front) marched from the Bung Karno University campus in Central Jakarta to the office building of the Jakarta chapter of Golkar Party, also in Central Jakarta. Aside from demanding the government to revoke its decision to raise fuel prices, the protesters also cried for the liquidation of Golkar which had ruled Indonesia for about 30 years.

In Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi Province, hundreds of students from different campuses seized a fuel truck and used it as a stage for delivering speeches. They called for President Megawati Sukarnoputri?s resignation, saying that her decision to raise fuel prices was a cool blooded action against the people. They also complained that the police had not seriously prevented speculators from stockpiling fuel before the announcement of new fuel prices. The students? action caused traffic congestion on Urip Sumohardjo Road, one of the city?s major thoroughfares. In other places in the city, protesters set tires on fire. Meanwhile, a circular from the South Sulawesi governor calling on the local people to remain cool-headed was disseminated to the demonstrators, but they did not care about it.

In Bandung, the capital of West Java, student rallies took place at several campuses and at the provincial legislative council. They demanded that the government seize back government funds which had been siphoned by irresponsible conglomerate leaders, and use the funds for people?s welfare. Demonstrations in the city did not turn into violence as dozens of police troops strictly guarded the council building.

Meanwhile, in the North Sumatra provincial capital of Medan police troops were in full alert following the announcement of fuel price increase. They guarded nearly 60 fuel stations in different parts of the city. (*)