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Students in Jember stage mass rally to protest fuel-price hike plan
Jakarta Post - November 17, 2014
Students burned effigies of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla in protest.
"This is an expression of our disappointment with the government. Jokowi hasn't done much yet and now he will increase the price of fuel," rally coordinator Leksono Kunto Wibisono said on Monday as quoted by kompas.com. The students urged Jokowi to carry out oil- and gas-sector contract renegotiations along with what has been mandated by the 1945 Constitution.
"The government must improve oil- and gas-sector management; and the most important thing is, please stop pursuing image-projection initiatives and lying about the transfer of the fuel subsidy to other sectors," said Kunto.
The peaceful demonstration comprised of students united under the Alliance of Jember Students, turned chaotic when protesters attempted to enter the DPRD Jember building. Police cordons struggled to hold back the crowds of protesters, causing a clash which left the entrance gate damaged.
Kunto said the government's decision to increase the subsidized fuel price would burden citizens as it would trigger increases in staple-food prices.
"With the increase in the subsidized-fuel price, there will be more poor people. That's why we refuse the government's fuel-price hike plan," he said.
In his presidential campaign, Jokowi vowed to reform the country's burdensome and poorly targeted fuel subsidies, estimated to hit Rp 276 trillion (US$22.5 billion) next year, eating up some 15 percent of total state spending.
The huge fuel subsidies created a gaping fiscal deficit at a time when the country needed to boost government spending in order to increase economic growth and people's welfare. (dyl/ebf)
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