Anwar Khumaini, Jakarta – Student demonstrations against the recent fuel price increases are moving towards anarchic acts involving frequent clashes with police. There are indications that foreign intelligence agencies are using the protests for their own ends.

“It is not an impossibility that these student demonstrations are being taken advantage of by foreign intelligence”, said intelligence observer AC Manullang during a discussion with Detik.com on Wednesday May 28.

The recent demonstrations, said Manullang, are being organised well beforehand. The actors behind these protest actions are taking advantage of important moments such as International Labour Day, Education Day and the momentum behind the anti-fuel price hike demonstrations. “So this has been planned long before hand”, he said.

According to Manullang, Indonesian intelligence agencies had in fact already anticipated the possible involvement of foreign intelligence. Despite this however, he admitted that our intelligence is unable to do a great deal.

“So, regardless of the actions taken by police even if they follow procedures, they are deemed as repressive acts. It is here that it can be said that the demonstrations are not genuine”, said the former director of the State Intelligence Coordinating Body (Bakin).

The irony of this continued Manullang is that Indonesian police have already been infiltrated by foreign intelligence agencies so they can be easily provoked to create anarchic incidents.

In order that these protest action do not continue to be anarchic, Manullang is asking President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to order security forces to upgrade efforts to safeguard security. (anw/gah)

[Translated by James Balowski.]