INDONESIA: Workers demonstrate at legislature
Although most of the protests in Jakarta during theannual session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR)
were relatively small, the final day of the session, August
18, drew thousands of protesters onto the streets.
The majority were from the Indonesian National Front for
Workers Struggle (FNPBI), Democratic People's Party (PRD) and
National Student League for Democracy (LMND). They were
demanding a 100% wage increase for all workers, the repeal of
the military's social and political functions, the abolition
of military seats in parliament and an end to violence against
workers.
They were joined by 150 farmers from Bandung, West Java,
calling for an inquiry into the abduction of four peasant
activists from outside the MPR on August 14. In Bandung,
students from the Bandung Indonesian Youth Front rallied to
demand the return of the peasant activists. Some 250 PRD and
FNPBI demonstrators organised a "long march" to the provincial
MPR in Medan, North Sumatra, to raise similar demands.
Protesters from a number of major universities in Java grouped
in the Indonesian Students Network (JMI) demonstrated in front
of the Presidential Palace during the August 17 Independence
Day ceremonies. They called for democratic reforms to the
constitution, the removal all remnants of Suharto's New Order
regime from government and the expulsion of the military and
police representatives in the MPR.
Student also demonstrated at Suharto's residence, where they
burned coffins marked with the names of Suharto, his family
members and cronies.
FNPBI leader Romawaty Sinaga will be speaking at public
meetings in Australia in late August and early September. The
tour is being organised by Action in Solidarity with Indonesia
and East Timor and Unionists Against Corporate Tyranny. Visit
the ASIET web site at <http://www.asiet.org.au>.
BY JAMES BALOWSKI