Gunawan Mashar, Jakarta – For the umpteenth time, on Wednesday February 23 students from the South Sulawesi provincial capital of Makassar have again hijacked fuel tankers. This time, after hijacking two kerosene tankers they drove them round and round the city.

Around 30 students from a number of Student Executive Councils (BEM) at the Makassar State University (UNM) initially held the demonstration in front of their campus on Jalan Andi Pettarani. The action was in protest against planned fuel price increases and the scarcity of kerosene in South Sulawesi. They then hijacked two fuel trucks which drove by the demonstration.

Feeling that students at other universities were unconcerned about the welfare of ordinary people, the UNM students drove the two tankers to a number of campuses in Makassar including the Indonesia Muslim University, the University 45 and the Hasanuddin University.

“We wanted to arouse [our] other comrades, [show them] where their concerns are about the people [should lie]”, said one of the students while giving a speech from on top of one of the fuel tankers.

The action, which was tightly guarded by police from the East Makassar municipal police, didn’t finish until around 2pm.

Actions hijacking fuel tankers have occurred frequently in Makassar. Several days ago, State Institute of Islamic Studies students hijacked a diesel truck and drove it to a demonstration at the Makassar Region VII representative office of the state oil company Pertamina. (asy)

[Translated by James Balowski.]