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National Liberation Front calls on the people to oppose price hikes

myRMnews - June 1, 2008

Sugihono, Jakarta – At least 500 people from the National Liberation Front, an alliance that includes among others the Workers Challenge Alliance (ABM), the State Electricity Company Trade Union (SP-PLN) and the Angkasa Pura Trade Union (SPAP) demonstrated at the State Palace in Central Jakarta on Sunday June 1.

Already protesting at the palace on Jl. Medan Merdeka Utara were thousands of people from Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia and protesters from other labour organisations.

The FPN arrived in a convoy of 10 Metro Mini busses, motorbikes and trucks. During the action the FPN made five calls to the Indonesian people.

First, they called on public transport, taxi, bajaj (three wheeled motorised taxis), truck, trailer and other drivers to oppose the fuel price increases rather than raising public transport fares.

Second, ojek (motorcycle taxis) and other motorcycle drivers are clearly part of the ordinary people who will surely feel the flow effect on from the price increase and should therefore join the FPN in opposing the fuel price hikes.

Third, they called on the people living in poor residential areas to hold demonstrations and provide space for free speech forums for those groups that are opposing the price increases and establish coordination posts to oppose the fuel price hikes.

Fourth, all workers should hold actions and free speech forums in the industrial areas and setup coordination posts against the increases.

Five, they called on all Indonesian people to join together and establish coordination posts against the price increases.

[Translated by James Balowski.]

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