Yogyakarta – Scores of demonstrators from the North Maluku-Yogyakarta Special Province Student Alliance for Weda held a protest action at the zero point intersection in the heart of the Central Java city of Yogyakarta on Monday April 4. They were demanding the release of 10 residents of Central Halmahera in North Maluku who were arrested by the Weda district police.

In a speech, action coordinator Immamudin revealed that the arrests began with the unjust treatment suffered by Weda workers and community members who work at the French owned company PT. Weda Bay Nickel, which carried out an arbitrary dismissal of workers.

Feeling that they were being treated unfairly, resident held an action involving the burning of two speedboats and a waiting room belonging to the company. Four days later, 10 residents were arrested and have still not obtained their rights as prisoners.

“PT Weda Bay Nickel is one of the companies included in mega projects in Indonesia. But constitution’s guarantee that the processing of Indonesia’s natural wealth is for the interests of the ordinary people is nothing more than an invented story”, said Immamudin.

The protesters also charged that the case represents one of the implications of the domination of the capitalist regime of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice President Boediono, which leaves the ordinary people as waste and living in poverty.

“We call on all the poor in Indonesia to join with us [to demand] the release of the 10 arrested Weda residents. Fight capitalism and its lackeys because they are the masterminds of the people’s suffering”, asserted Immamudin. (Ran)

Source: Mahasiswa Maluku di DIY Tuntut Pembebasan Sepuluh Warga Halmahera – KRjogja.com. Senin, 04 April 2011 11:54:00

[Translated by James Balowski.]