[Kabar-indonesia] Indonesia Actions, Demos, Protests: July 17-23, 2006

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[available for distribution August 9, 2006]

Actions, demos, protests...

Indonesia Roundup #24 - July 17-23, 2006

[Indonesia roundup is a weekly compilation of
actions, demonstrations and protests taken from
Indonesian language news sources. Please note 
that actions already covered by English language 
media sources are generally omitted. Compiled 
and translated by James Balowski.]

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Housewives protests over price of school
registration fees

Around 100 housewives in the South Sulawesi capital
of Makassar protested at the Regional House of
Representatives (DPRD) on July 17 calling for the
Makassar municipal government to fulfil its promise
to abolish payments for registering students to
attend school.

The demonstrators, who came from the Poor People's
Struggle Committee (KPRM), arrived at the DPRD at
around 11am. Initially they assembled on the side of
the road in front of the DPRD grounds where they
gave speeches opposing the registration payments.

Syamsiari for example, complained that she had to
pay 340,000 rupiah to register her child at the
Makassar State Senior High School 29. "They said it
was to pay for uniforms. Plus a sport and batik
shirt. Where will I get the money from. I don't have
that kind of money", she said.

After giving speeches on the side of the road, a
number of the protesters entered the DPRD grounds to
continue the action while they waited to meet with
assembly members. (Detik.com, 17/7/2006)

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Workers blockade Surabaya regional parliament

Worker demonstrations have again rocked the East
Java provincial capital of Surabaya. On July 17 more
than 2,500 workers from the Sinar Angkasa Rungkut
(SAR) light bulb factory held a demonstration at the
Surabaya DPRD demanding that assembly members assist
them in forcing the company to pay them the regional
minimum wage.

The action was so closely guarded by police that the
workers had to arrive in waves and were kept at a
distance of around 100 metres form the DPRD
building. Police also erected barbed wire barriers.
Fully armed Mobile Brigade officers also stood guard
at the Mitra Cinema located next door to the DPRD.
Police also closed of a number of roads resulting a
major traffic jam in the city.

According to the head of the II Work Unit, Sutrisno,
workers at the factory are still receiving the old
minimum wage of 578,000 rupiah per month whereas on
July 3 the East Java governor denied a request by
the company to be exempted from having to pay new
minimum wage brought in at the beginning of the
year. (Detik.com, 17/7/2003)

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Environment activists erect massive banner

A massive banner measuring 4x6 metres was erected on
an overpass in front of the offices of the
Environment Ministry on July 17 with a message
demanding that the minister take a firm position on
the PT Lapindo Brantas hot mud disaster in Sidoarjo,
East Java.

The banner, which put up by around 20 activists from
the Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi), the
Indonesian Youth Front for Struggle (FPPI) and the
Artisans' Theater who were holding a demonstration
in front of the ministry, read "The hot mud case in
Sidoarjo, the Minister for the Environment must be
pro-environment, not pro-capital". They also brought
banners with the message "Solidarity for the
Sidoarjo hot mud".

The protesters demanded that the minister be firmer
in handling the Sidoarjo hot mud disaster by
explaining whether or not the mud is dangerous,
particularly since many consider it useful for
making bricks. "We are asking the minister to make a
definite decisions as to weather or not the mud is
dangerous. If yes, at least action can be taken to
prevent the illnesses breaking out among the
people", said FPPI action coordinator Gamulya.
(Detik.com, 17/7/2006)

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Workers in Cianjur demand return of deposits

More than 200 prospective workers have again
protested at the Miftahul Gina Foundation in the
West Java city of Cianjur. They were demanding that
the foundation return deposits of between 750,000 to
1.5 million rupiah. Earlier, the foundation had
promised to place the workers in jobs in the
industrial zones of Tangerang, Bandung and Bekasi on
the condition that they deposit the money first.
(Liputan 6, 17/7/2006)

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Housewives and children demand rice quota

Dozens of housewives and children from poor families
in the village of Rea in the West Sulawesi regency
of Polewali demonstrated on July 17 demanding that
Jamaluddin resign from his post as village head. The
demonstrators accused Jamaluddin of hoarding rice
allocated for the poor and selling it for profit. As
a result many poor families have not received their
quota of rice. During the action the protesters
marched around the village carrying pots, pans and
other kitchen utensils. (Liputan 6, 17/7/2006)

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Land dispute hearing in Palu marred by demonstration

Dozens of student activists and non-government
organisations (NGO) demonstrated during a hearing at
the Palu District Court in Central Sulawesi on July
18. The court was hearing a land dispute case
between residents of the Maesa village and the
Tadulako 132 Sub-Regional Military Command (Korem).
The protesters were demanding that the land be
returned to residents however the panel of judges
decided that the thousands of square metres of land
would remain the property of the military. (Liputan
6, 18/7/2006)

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Farmers demand repairs to Kalibening irrigation
system

Dozens of farmers from the National Farmers Union
(STN) demonstrated at the offices of the Magelang
regional government on July 17. They were asking for
guarantees from the government for the realisation
of planned repairs to the Kalibening irrigation
system.

The protesters also brought posters with their
demands such as "Water management that is really for
the farmers", "100% of the Kalibening water for
farmers", "Repair the irrigation system" and "Water
should not become a business".

Slamet Chudori, a farmer from Mertoyudan said that
every dry season the farm land in the villages of
Sukorejo and Bondowoso experience problems getting
enough water because the supply from the Kalibening
irrigation system is inadequate.

STN secretary for the Magelang regency, Wahyu Sukma
Hadi said that at a meeting in April the government
had promised to begin repairs by July using funds of
51 billion rupiah from the central government. "We
want a written promise", he said during a dialogue
with government officials. (Suara Merdeka,
18/7/2006)

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Yogya earthquake victims demand resignation of vice
president

Around 300 victims of the Yogyakarta earthquake held
a protest demanding that Vice President Jusuf Kalla
resign from office. The demand was made because the
protesters believe that Kalla lied by promising to
provide reconstruction aid for houses destroyed by
the quake.

During the action that took place at the offices of
the Yogyakarta governor on July 18, the protesters
gave speeches demanding that Kalla fulfil his
promise to provide reconstruction funds of between
10-30 million rupiah per house.

"We are demanding that the vice president fulfil his
promise to provide housing reconstruction aid in
accordance with what he told [the public]", said
Agus, one of the protesters. Agus also explained
that the demonstration was linked with a planned
visit by Kalla when he will inspecting
reconstruction developments in Yogyakarta and
Central Java. (Detik.com, 18/7/2006)

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Residents protest over elections in Maluku

Dozens of residents from West Seram regency in
Maluku demonstrated at the offices of the Maluku
governor in Ambon recently. The protesters were
protesting over the election of the West Seram
regent.

Some pushing and shoving ensued between protesters
and police guarding the office but police eventually
allowed them to enter the governor's office. They
were unable to meet the Governor Karel Albert
however because he was not in the office.

The demonstrators were angry because they had heard
news that Albert has been lobbying the government to
inaugurate one of the candidate regents. The
prolonged dispute over the elections began after one
of the candidates that won the second round admitted
to using a false diploma. (Liputan 6, 19/7/2006)

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Protests over cash subsidies in West Kalimantan

Around 200 residents from the Kakap River sub-
district in Pontianak regency demonstrated for the
second time at the offices of the West Kalimantan
National Statistics Agency (BPS) on July 19. They
were questioning the BPS verification process that
they said was invalid because they had not obtained
direct cash subsidies. (Kompas Cyber Media,
19/7/2006)

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Wonorejo residents besiege police station

A number of residents from Wonorejo in the sub-
district of Batang Serangan, Langkat regency, North
Sumatra, demonstrated at the Padang Tualang sectoral
police headquarters on July 19. They were demanding
the release of Suprayitno and Rusli who were
detained on charges attacking and beating a soldier
who was on duty at the plantation company PT
Perkebunan Nusantara II Langkat. (Liputan 6,
20/7/2006)

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Yogyakarta earthquake victims ask Kalla to keep
promise

A visit by Vice President Jusuf Kalla to the Central
Java city of Yogyakarta on July 19 was greeted by a
protest by hundreds of earthquake victims who said
they had yet to receive living allowances or
reconstruction assistance that had been promised by
Kalla more than one month ago.

Kalla met with 15 representatives of the protesters
and explained that 1.2 trillion rupiah had been
deposited with regional governments in areas hit by
the earthquake. He added that local governments
should have already distributed the assistance to
earthquake victims.

After meeting with Kalla, Yogyakarta governor Sri
Sultan Hamengku Buwono X promised that distribution
of the remaining living allowances would start
tomorrow. Reconstruction funds meanwhile would be
distributed through respective neighborhood units
although due to limited funds each household would
only receive 15 million rupiah or half of what was
promised by the government. (Liputan 6, 20/7/2006)

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Hunger strike in Yogyakarta enters ninth day

Protesters demanding living allowances and
reconstruction funds are continuing with a hunger
strike in front of the Yogyakarta DPRD. Entering the
nine day on July 20, the five people are still
participating in the strike after six others had to
be rushed to hospital for treatment. Although only
five now remain, one of the hunger strikers, Ivan
declared that the action would continue until the
central government fulfilled its promise to provide
assistance. (Liputan 6, 21/7/2006)

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Farmer demonstration in Subang ends in clash

A demonstration by farmers and students at the
offices of the Subang chief public prosecutor in
West Java not long ago ended in a clash. The clash
began when security personnel blocked the protesters
as they tried to enter the prosecutor's offices. In
speeches earlier, the demonstrators said that law
enforcement officials had been slow in investigating
a number of corruption cases including the
procurement of cars and cows as well as an insurance
case involving a number of government officials and
members of the local DPRD. (Liputan 6, 21/7/2006)

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Acehnese students condemn Israel

Hundreds of students and youths from Acehnese Muslim
Solidarity for Palestine and Lebanon (SMAPPL) held a
demonstration at the United Nations representative
offices in Banda Aceh on July 21. They condemned the
UN for applying double standards on the question of
Palestine and Lebanon.

After several minutes of speeches in front of the UN
offices, a UN representative received several
students. During the meeting they asked that their
statement be conveyed to the UN headquarters. "They
promised to send it, but we don't know if they will
or not", said SMAPPL coordinator Hamdan when
speaking with journalists after the meeting.

The demonstrators also condemned the US, the
European Union and other Israeli allies. They also
expressed their disappointment with the Conference
of Islamic Organisations, Arabic countries and other
Islamic nations that have not spoken out against
Israel's military attacks on Palestine and Lebanon.
Before disbursing, the demonstrators set fire to
Israeli flags in front of the UN building.
(Detik.com, 21/7/2006)

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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