Protesting workers 'spit jengkol' at ineffectual house

Waspada Online - September 3, 2010

Scores of former PT WRP Multi Corpora employees spat chewed jengkol (a pungent type of vegetable nut) at the North Sumatra Regional House of Representatives (DPRD Sumut) building during a protest action on Thursday September 2. The demonstration was in protest against the DPRD's failure to resolve a case involving the dismissal of 400 WRP workers.

"The DPRD Sumut is ineffectual, this problem has been going on for more than a year, but there have been no assurances given!" shouted action coordinator Martha Hutapea during the protest. [For Mei 2010' video documentation see: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1427334694382]

SBY's popularity dips further: Poll

Jakarta Post - September 3, 2010

Erwida Maulia, Jakarta -- The President's popularity has declined in the
first year of his second tenure, but voters are apparently reluctant to
switch their support from the President's ruling party to other political
parties, a survey finds.

The Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) confirmed in its latest survey in
August that there was a decline in the level of public satisfaction with
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's performance since its five-year peak
in July last year, when Yudho-yono ran for re-election.

"In July 2009, the level of public satisfaction with the President's
performance reached a record 85 percent.

"Since then, however, it fell to 75 percent in November 2009, 70 percent in
January 2010, 65 percent in March 2010, and only slightly increased by 1
percent in August 2010," LSI executive director Kuskridho Ambardi said at a
press conference Thursday to announce the result of the latest survey.

Activists call for talks between Jakarta and Papua

Jakarta Post - September 2, 2010

Activists have described the need for dialogue between the central
government and Papuans as "urgent" and "critical" if Jakarta hopes to save
the country's easternmost provinces from potential conflict, stemming from
horizontal inequality, and disintegration.

Activists and a political pundit said Monday that dialogue was the only way
to resolve Papua's perennial issues, which range from human rights
violations, massive environmental destruction and rapid transmigration to
its dysfunctional special autonomy, among others.

"We're not seeing any effort on Jakarta's behalf to protect residents there
from possible conflict, empower the locals or side with them in general,"
Amirrudin Al Rahab, a member of Papua Working Group in Jakarta, said.

Civilian death toll climbs to five after attack on police station

Jakarta Globe - September 1, 2010

Palu, Central Sulawesi -- Indonesian police opened fire and killed five
people when an angry mob attacked their station with firebombs in a protest
over the death of a man in custody, police said on Wednesday.

More than 20 people, including several police officers, were injured during
the violent clash late on Tuesday in the town of Buol, Central Sulawesi
province, local deputy police chief Dewa Parsana said.

"A big number of residents encircled the police station and threw Molotov
bombs," he said. "We had no choice but to open fire towards the protesters
because they were very angry and were burning motorcycles parked outside...
Five people were killed by the shooting."

The tyranny of the majority

Jakarta Post Editorial - September 1, 2010

"The greatest threat facing the US is the tyranny of the majority," penned
nineteenth-century French writer Alexis de Tocqueville in Democracy in
America. He could just as easily be writing about Indonesia today,
especially after Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali announced his
plan to ban Ahmadiyah, a religious sect with more than 200,000 followers.
He said the presence of the sect, whose existence predates even this
republic, is an affront to Islam, the country's predominant religion.

His statement is a clear display of raw power in the name of the majority.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's silence in the face of what is a clear
a breach of the constitution is indicative of his own complicity.
Tocqueville's warning is upon us. This country, founded upon religious
freedom, that claims to pride itself on the diversity of its people, is in
peril.

Families fight against 'politics of amnesia'

Jakarta Post - September 1, 2010

Jakarta -- Far from the glamor connected to international commemorations,
families of victims of forced disappearances and gross human rights
violations gathered to mark the International Day of Forced Disappearances
on Aug. 30 with the resolute reminder that they refuse to have their
history swept under the carpet by government inaction.

Yati Andriyani, an activist from the Commission for Disappearances and
Victims of Violence (Kontras), said President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had
employed "politics of amnesia" to avoid taking action against gross human
rights violations committed in the past.

Indonesia: New left-wing trade union federation established

By Dian Trisnanti, in Jakarta


Direct Action. Under the theme “Unite against capitalism and the regime that supports it, build a united national labour movement that is progressive, militant, democratic and independent”, on July 9, 76 labour union representatives from around the country gathered in the Jakarta satellite city of Bogor for a three-day congress to establish a new union federation, the Indonesian Labour Movement Union (PPBI).

July 12: Action by PPBI, against electricity price hikes.

Attending were representatives from the North Sumatra Trade Union of Struggle from Medan, the Mining Trade Union Workers Challenge from Sanga-Sanga in East Kalimantan, the North Palu Labour Forum from Central Sulawesi, the Cross-Factory Labour Forum (FBLP) from North Jakarta, the Solidarity Alliance for Labour Struggle (GSPB) from the West Java city of Bekasi, the Politics for the Poor-Indonesian National Front for Labour Struggle (FNPBI-PRM) from Jombang and Mojokerto, East Java, the Independent Indonesian National Front for Labour Struggle (FNPBI-Independent) from Surabaya and Madura, East Java, GSPB BPT Mikro from Majalaya, West Java, the Garuda Trade Union (SBG) from Sumedang, West Java and representatives from Yogyakarta currently in the process of building local trade union groups.

Also present were observers from the Political Committee of the Poor-People’s Democratic Party (KPRM-PRD), the Political Union of the Poor (PPRM), the Student Struggle Centre for National Liberation (Pembebasan, formerly LMND-PRM) and the Perempuan Mahardhika (Free Women) National Network (JNPM), as well as individual trade union activists.

Indonesian press, freedom of expression under attack

By James Balowski, in Jakarta
Direct Action
 

At around 2.30am on June 28, a group of men arrived at a major news distribution outlet in Central Jakarta. “We want to buy all copies of this magazine”, said one, pointing to Tempo, hot off the press with a cover story titled “Police officers’ fat bank accounts”.

The men ended up buying 2425 copies. “They were police officers. They insisted on buying our entire stock, no matter what the price”, said Rozak, one of the sellers, who inflated the price to 40,000 rupiah (US$4.44) from the regular 27,000 per copy. “They paid almost 100 million rupiah in cash.”

Another distributor had a similar story. In all, the entire Jakarta print run of around 30,000 copies was bought that morning. Other witnesses testified that the operation continued into the afternoon with uniformed police combing the streets in marked patrol cars ensuring no copies had been missed. Similar buy-ups by police officers were reported in the West Java city of Bandung and in Bali.

Sourced on data from the anti-money laundering agency PPATK, the magazine’s cover story featured a report on senior police generals allegedly amassing private bank accounts in the millions of dollars. The police — whose already tarnished image had taken a lashing in recent months over a series of corruption scandals — claimed the disappearing magazines were a publicity stunt by the publisher.

Indonesia: National Movement Against Electricity and Basic Needs' Price Hike 7th August 2010

'Protesters reject electricity rate hikes, deadly 'LPG bombs'

Detik.com - August 7, 2010

Bagus Kurniawan, Yogyakarta -- Scores of people held a protest action opposition
the recent increases in basic electricity rates (TDL) and the price of LPG gas
canisters in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta on Saturday August 7. They also
called on the government to cancel the price hikes and opposed the use of 3kg
LPG gas canisters.

The protesters came from several different groups including the Perempuan
Mahardhika (Free Women) National Network (JNPM) and the National Movement for
Prices Reductions and Cancellation of TDL Hikes (GNBKTTH). Earlier, Perempuan
Mahardhika held an action at the Gramedia intersection on Jl. Sudirman then
moved off to the Yogyakarta Monument where the protesters joined into one group.

The demonstrators brought various kitchen utensils such as pans, woks, electric
irons and 3kg LPG gas canisters. The electric irons were wound around the bodies
of two women demonstrators who also carried empty gas canisters. The kitchen
utensils meanwhile were used as musical instruments.

The protesters also brought a huge replica LPG gas canister made of paper and
bamboo as well as placards and banners with messages such as “Reject the TDL
hikes”, “Replace LPG canisters with Kerosene”, “Watch out for LPG bombs” and
“Reduce the price of basic commodities”.

One of the participants, Ny Sutinah, called on the government to immediately
cancel the electricity price increases. The resident of Mancingan, Parangtritis
Bantul, said the electricity hikes only added to the burden of the people’s
suffering because it causes price increases and high inflation.

"Not to mention cases of gas canister exploding and the many casualties. The
public has been terrorised by these LPG bombs", said Sutinah in a speech at the
Yogyakarta Monument on Saturday.

According to Sutinah, the prices of basic commodities has already risen because
of the impact of the electricity price hike on companies. She added however that
the concrete impact of the government's policies has been on women who have to
manage household affairs and the family.

"There is no other word except bring down prices. Reject the TDL hikes and
replace LPG with kerosene stoves", shouted the woman who is also a victims of a
recent land eviction.

After taking turns in giving speeches for around 30 minutes at the Yogyakarta
Monument, the protesters then continued the action at the Yogyakarta Regional
House of Representatives building on Jl. Malioboro.

The peaceful action was watched over by Yogyakarta municipal police officers to
ensure that the flow of traffic would not become congested. (djo/djo)

Declaration of solidarity against US intervention in Venezuela

Joint Statement - July 28, 2010

Oppose US intervention in Venezuela
Oppose US military bases in Columbia
Support the fight against US imperialism in Latin America

Over the eight years of Venezuela Bolivarian Revolution, it has never been free of intervention, harassment and provocation by the United State government. This has included an attempted pro-opposition coup d'etat funded by the US in 2002 to the recent military provocations through the Columbian government. The Columbian government has accused Venezuela of protecting and allowing "FARC terrorist bases" (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) in its country, and has called on the Organisation of South American States to investigate it. A similar statement was made by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who asked the Inter-American Democratic Charter to oppose Venezuela.

The use of the term terrorist for groups that resist US imperialism's world domination is part of the "war on terror" scenario launched by the US following the tragic 2001 World Trace Center attack. Iraq and Afghanistan are the worst victims of US terror. The US has never accepted responsibility when it has been proven that what they referred to as weapons of mass destruction (and even) terrorist themselves never existed.

Although Obama has made friendly overtures towards Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, the US government is the strongest and most reactionary capitalist government in the world. They are afraid because Venezuela is making a revolution similar to that of Cuba; building socialism in the 21st Century. Venezuela has taken over and built the country's vital industries under the control of the working class, has taken over huge tracts of unused land owned by big land lords, has developed human resources through free and quality education and healthcare, is unwilling to be dictated to by neoliberal capitalist financial institutions and sells cheaper oil to the US people than the US government itself. In short, the US capitalist government does not want to allow socialism to develop in Venezuela, as they have tried to prevent socialism from succeeding in Cuba by applying an economic embargo for the last 40 years.

According to the US capitalist government, the globalisation of Chevron, Exxon, Coca Cola and McDonalds are symbols of prosperity rather than free and quality education and healthcare. Having two hundred or so of the richest people in the world is better than Cuba and Venezuela's successes in eradicating illiteracy, treating cataracts and cancer or providing computers down to primary school level and villages for free.