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'Mud people' dog forestry minister over environment

Detik.com - July 3, 2007

Indra Shalihin, Jakarta – Because environmental destruction, humanity is becoming muddy and angry. Scores of these 'mud people', formed up in a circle pounding their feet on the ground as they danced and shouted.

This was the theatrical action that featured as part of a demonstration held by around 500 people from the Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi) in front of the forestry ministry building on Jl. Gatot Soebroto in the Senayan area of South Jakarta on Tuesday July 3.

The scores of bare-chested people caked with dried mud brought a number of posters with messages such as "Save the planet now, not just words" and "Indonesia's forests are the property of the Indonesian people". Shouts of "Save the planet" reverberated throughout the action.

Several of the demonstrators wore black T-shirts with the writing "Walhi Indonesia People's Conference". During the action they demanded that the government take responsibility for the destruction of the environment and accused forestry minister MS Kaban as being the architect of a series of environmental disasters across the country.

"We are here to say one word, in the name of the people's struggle, in the name of the Indonesian people, save this earth of Indonesia. There is no pressure from any of the political parties. We are calling on MS Kaban to take responsibility", shouted one of the speakers.

As a consequence of the action, traffic traveling from Jl. Gatot Soebroto towards Patal Senayan was redirected. Hundreds of security personnel watched over the action to keep the protesters from entering the grounds of the forestry department.

As of 12.30pm, the action which started at 11.30 was still continuing. After demonstrating at the forestry department, protesters plan to continue the demonstration at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and the State Palace. (nvt/sss)

[Translated by James Balowski.]

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