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Indonesia Roundup No 19 - June 12-18, 2006

[Indonesia roundup is a weekly compilation of actions, demonstrations and protests taken from Indonesian language news sources produced by the INDOLEFT News Service and the People's Democratic Party (PRD). Please note that actions already covered by English language media sources are generally omitted. Compiled and translated by James Balowski.]

Actions, demos, protests...

  • Victims of Ambon riots demand compensation funds
  • South Kalimantan truck drivers strike
  • Victims of river abrasion protest in Cirebon
  • Lebak residents demand connection to electricity grid
  • Pulo Aceh residents protest Catholic Relief Services
  • Tanah Karo residents protest plans to slaughter livestock
  • Aceh students protest over corruption
  • Anti-Debt Coalition protests CGI meeting
  • Anti-CGI protesters demonstrate in Jakarta
  • Demonstrators demand government stops accepting new loans
  • Transmigrants demand repatriation
  • Students clash with police in Bone
  • Workers blockade PT Arnott Indonesia

    • Victims of Ambon riots demand compensation funds

    Thousands of displaced people who were victims of the Ambon riots became angered during a protest at the Maluku Public Works Office on June 13. They accused the office of fooling them over delays in the payment of compensation funds valued at 1.8 million rupiah. The public works office had earlier promised to immediately disburse the compensation funds for repairs to the resident's houses. (Liputan 6, 13/6/2006)

    South Kalimantan truck drivers strike

    Fifty drivers of trucks transporting basic goods and construction materials bound for the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya went on strike at the Trisakti Banjarmasin Port in South Kalimantan on June 13. The strike only ended after the state-own port management company Pelindo placed a temporary cancellation on government fees. According to Pelindo the fees were based on a decision issue by the director of PT Pelindo. (Liputan 6, 13/6/2006)

    Victims of river abrasion protest in Cirebon

    Hundreds of residents from the village of Rawa Urip in the Kalibangka Block demonstrated at the Pangenan sub-district in the West Java regency of Cirebon on June 13. The protesters were demanding that the government pay attention to their problems they are facing as they had already lost a number of homes as a result of abrasion to the Cimanis River. As a result of the abrasion, which has now been going on since 1998, seventeen of resident's homes have been damaged and dozens of others are under threat. (Liputan 6, 13/6/2006)

    Lebak residents demand connection to electricity grid

    Residents in the Lebak regency of Banten provinces blockaded a road in protest over the Banten provincial government's sluggishness in providing electricity to four villages in the Penggarangan sub-district of Lebak. The protesters said they had repeatedly submitted requests for connection to the electrical grid but to this day, some 700 families living in the villages have yet to receive electricity. (Liputan 6, 13/6/2006)

    Pulo Aceh residents protest Catholic Relief Services

    Hundreds of tsunami victims from the Lampuyang village in the Pulo Aceh sub-district of Greater Aceh protested at the representative offices of the Catholic Relief Services in Banda Aceh on June 13.

    The head of Lampuyang village, Muhammad Ismi, said that they had come to the CRS office in Banda Aceh to demand that CRS fulfil its commitment to build some 300 houses in their village. "We want to know if the CRS will build the houses or not", said Abubakar, one of the residents. "Don't just make promises", he said.

    In response to the resident's complaints, CRS Aceh director Scott T. Chambell admitted that there had been delays in the construction of the houses but this was because the CRS was looking for a new contractor to do the work. Chambell added that the CRS is still committed to constructing the houses. (Aceh Kita, 13/6/2006)

    Tanah Karo residents protest plans to slaughter livestock

    Hundreds of Tanah Karo residents in the North Sumatra provincial capital of Medan protested by drinking chicken blood in front of the offices of the North Sumatra governor on June 13. The action was in protest over plans to destroy livestock in Tanah Karo after the spread of Avian Flu resulted in the death of seven residents in May.

    The residents said that the order to destroy all livestock in Tanah Karo would cause significant financial losses to traders and breeders. Moreover they said, the health department and the World Health Organisation had yet to prove the origin of the Avian Flue virus that killed the seven residents of Kubu Simbelang village.

    A representative of the governor said that the destruction of the birds was the only alternative in order to contain the spread of the virus. He also added that they would be given compensation. The protesters however refused to accept his offer and in addition to drinking the chicken blood also fried dozens of chickens, which were then offered to government officials to eat. (Liputan 6, 14/6/2006)

    Aceh students protest over corruption

    Around 100 students from the South Aceh Social Concern Alliance (AMPAS) held a protest at the offices of the governor and the Aceh chief public prosecutor in Banda Aceh on June 15. The were demanding that an investigation be conducted into the growing number of corruption cases in South Aceh.

    Arriving at the governor's office at 9.30am, the students took turns in giving speeches saying that although corruption has been going on in South Aceh for some time now, not one case has been solved or brought before the courts.

    "We hope that the governor's commitment to wipe out corruption will really be carried out. Don't just talk about it in the mass media, we want evidence from you. If not we will return with even more demonstrators", said action coordinator Zulfikar.

    The demonstrators did not come empty handed. "We have brought strong evidence of the regent's involvement in a number of corruption cases in South Aceh. We hope that you will immediately investigate these cases", said one of the speakers.

    Following this, Zulfikar and the chairperson of the South Aceh Students Association Sudirjo, handed over a dossier of evidence including corruption cases involving deductions to block grant funds and mark ups in infrastructure improvement projects. After meeting with regional secretary Husni Bahri TOB, Bahri said that they would send a team from the Regional Monitoring Agency to South Aceh to investigate the students' report. (Aceh Kita, 15/6/2006)

    Anti-Debt Coalition protests CGI meeting

    The Anti-Debt Coalition has continued its protests against the government's plan to submit a request for new loans from the Consultative Group on Indonesia (CGI). During an action on June 13 the protesters warned the government that over the decades the foreign debt burden on the state has continued to accumulate.

    Demonstrations by the coalition have been becoming more frequent in the lead up to a meeting between the government and foreign lending institutions that will take place on June 15. Over the last three years, total government loans from the CGI have reached US$ billionmade of US$3.3 billion in bilateral loans and US$5.7 billion in multilateral loans. (Liputan 6, 14/6/2006)

    Anti-CGI protesters demonstrate in Jakarta

    Dozens of protesters from the People's Alliance Against the CGI demonstrated in front of the Bank Indonesia Building on Jl. Thamrin in Central Jakarta on June 15. They were demanding that the government rejects new loans, cancel the existing debt and dissolves the CGI because foreign loans have not improved the welfare of ordinary people.

    The protest was held in conjunction with a meeting between 21 donor countries and eight international financial institutions in Jakarta. The government plans to submit a request for new loads valued at US$2.53 billion that is made up of US$1.53 billion for project loans and US1 billion for loans programs. (Liputan 6, 15/6/2006)

    Demonstrators demand government stops accepting new loans

    Demonstrations against accepting new loans from the CGI also took place in Medan on June 15. Actions were held at the Majestik roundabout and the Regional House of Representatives (DPRD). The protesters were urging President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice President Jusuf Kalla to resolve the long-term debt and to stop accepting new loans. (Liputan 6, 16/06/2006)

    Transmigrants demand repatriation

    Hundreds of transmigrants from the village of Pusanggula in the South Konawe regency ran riot during a dialogue at the South Sulawesi Provincial Labour and Transmigration Office in the city of Kendari on June 17. The protesters kicked over desks and attacked transmigration officials.

    The incident was trigged by a transmigration official who suggested that they return to their transmigration site, whereas the protesters were demanding to be repatriated to Java because the transmigration site has been inundated by one metre floods since early June.

    The 140 transmigrants are currently staying at the West Sulawesi DPRD building and say they will remain there as they are determined not to return to the transmigration site. (Liputan 6, 17/6/2006)

    Students clash with police in Bone

    Dozens of students from the Indonesian Islamic Students Movement (PMII) in South Sulawesi clashed with police in Bone on June 16. The incident occurred when the students were protesting on the grounds of the Bone municipal police headquarters.

    The demonstration was triggered by an incident that occurred the day before when a student was given a ticket for a traffic violation. The students condemned the actions by police who they said had harassed the student.

    Police were unable to contain their emotions when students forced their way into the grounds of the police headquarters and raised their organisation's flag. A clash was unavoidable. A number of students were injured during the incident. Fortunately, the clash was diffused when one of the police officers was able to pursuade his colleges to fall back. (Liputan 6, 17/6/2006)

    Workers blockade PT Arnott Indonesia

    Around 1,000 PT Arnott Indonesia workers from the All Indonesia Workers Union (SPSI) have been protesting since yesterday against the dismissal of a union leader and 14 other workers. PT Arnott Indonesia is currently restructuring the company in order to improve efficiency.

    Sutopo, a worker from the production section, said that the worker protest turned into a massive demonstration after a SPSI union official from the advocacy division, Petrus Sarian, was also sacked. Since then negotiations with the company have stalled. (Tempo Interactive, 17/6/2006)

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