M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – The government doesn’t need to be concerned about the massive demonstrations by students opposing planned fuel price hikes. Rather, the real danger will be if hungry people take to the streets.

“If students demonstrate it’s not a worry, but if hungry people take to the streets now that’s dangerous”, said former army deputy chief of staff retired Lieutenant General Kiki Syahnakri when speaking to journalists following a book dissertation at the Nahdlatul Ulama Central Board offices on Jl. Kramat Raya in Central Jakarta on Wednesday May 14.

According to Syahnakri, what needs to be monitored at the moment is separatist groups who are waiting for Indonesia to descend in to chaos. “That’s what [we] need to be on the lookout for in 2008”, he added.

According to information obtained by Syahnakri, based on 2005 data around 300,000 to 1 million people were dismissed because of the impact of the previous fuel price increases. Many industries closed and companies reduced their production capacity.

“If this time around 2.3 to 3 million people loose their incomes, can or can’t I imagine a situation such as this now,” he explained.

With regard to government efforts to overcome the impact of the fuel price hikes and possible dismissals, Syahnakri said that it is precisely this that the government is not prepared for. “I haven’t seen any government preparations to anticipate this”, he answered briefly. (zal/nwk)

Notes:

Kiki Syahnakri was appointed commander of the Indonesian military in East Timor in September 1999 after pro-Jakarta militiamen went on a violent rampage in the wake of the independence vote. Along with former armed forces chief General Wiranto and six other senior generals, in February 2003 he was indicted for crimes against humanity by the joint UN-East Timor Special Crimes Unit.

[Translated by James Balowski.]