Indoleft | Yogya students hold solidarity action, condemn violence by paid thugs

Home > South-East Asia >> Indoleft

Yogya students hold solidarity action, condemn violence by paid thugs

Tribune Yogyakarta - November 1, 2013

Yogyakarta students scuffle with police at national strike solidarity action - Detik News. November 1, 2013
10,000 workers protest in Surabaya for minimum wage increase - Tempo. October 31, 2013
Workers demand action after peaceful protest attacked by paid thugs - Viva News. October 31, 2013
Workers, students and urban poor hold solidarity action in Makassar - Tribune News. October 31, 2013
Protesting workers blockade north coast road in Semarang - Detik News. October 30, 2013

Yogya – Scores of students from the Student Struggle Center for National Liberation (Pembebasan) held an action in solidarity with the October 31-November 1 national strike in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta. The action, which was held in front of the Yogyakarta Presidential Palace, was marked with the lighting of one thousand candles.

"Almost all workers in the country are taking action. Moreover workers in Jabotabek (Greater Jakarta) are standing firm to fight for their rights. We are here to support the actions by the workers", said action coordinator Ajwar on Friday evening.

Ajwar said that the workers' demand that the government increase the regency and municipal minimum wage (UMK) by 50 percent is reasonable and is in accordance with the reasonable living cost index (KHL).

"The politics of low wages by companies and the government hurts workers a great deal. This keeps workers out of reach of a decent living, so it is fitting if workers demand their rights", he asserted.

During the action the students also condemned the violent actions by thugs to thwart strike actions in the Jakarta satellite city of Bekasi and other areas on October 31. The group said that the government and employers must be held liable.

Ajwar said that four workers were slashed and stabbed by paid thugs during the incident and employers must be held responsible for the brutal action.

"It is very regrettable that in a democratic country there are still efforts to muzzle the people's wishes by acts of thuggery. We condemn this brutal action", he said.

[Mahasiswa Gelar Aksi Seribu Lilin untuk Buruh - Tribunjogja.com. Jumat, 1 November 2013. Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service.]

See also:

Subscribe to Indoleft

Indoleft is an English-language news service produced by the People's Liberation Party (PPR) and APSN. Postings are translated from Indonesian language news reports, statements and publications not otherwise available in English. If you would like to subscribe free to this service just send a blank message to <indoleft-subscribe@lists.riseup.net> and you will be automatically added to the list (APSN’s news update subscribers automatically receive INDOLEFT).