Nurvita Indarini, Jakarta – A number of organisations are endeavouring to thwart the government’s plan to increase the price of fuel and are planning to besiege the State Palace in Central Jakarta on May 21 (the 10th anniversary of the overthrow of former President Suharto) and June 1.
In a written statement received by Detik.com, the National Liberation Front (FPN) said it will be holding mass actions at various points across Greater Jakarta before the main action centring on the State Palace. Warm up actions will also be held in a number of cities around the country.
“Soon, [we will begin] making up hundreds of banners at various points containing calls to defeat the fuel price increases and hold massive actions on May 21 and June 1”, said FPN’s public relations officer on Friday May 16.
The FPN is also calling on members of the political elite such as President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Vice President Jusuf Kalla, former Golkar Party chairperson Akbar Tanjung, former National Mandate Party chairperson Amien Rais, former Indonesian military chief Wiranto, Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri, Sultan Hamengku Buwono X, National Awakening Party chief patron Abdurrahman ‘Gus Dur’ Wahid and others to step aside as they have failed the country.
They are also calling on the people to build their own political movement, to step up the intensity of mass actions and to strengthen their forces to fight for the nationalisation of the oil and gas industries under the control of people’s political organisations.
Warm up actions to prepare for larger protests have already been held in North Sumatra, Greater Jakarta, Central and East Java, Yogyakarta and East Kalimantan. (nvt/nvt)
Notes:
The National Liberation Front (Front Pembebasan Nasional, FPN) is a new left united front formation made up of the Workers Challenge Alliance (ABM), the Indonesian Student Secretariat (SMI, the Poor Peoples Political Union (PPRM), the Working People’s Association (PRP), the JGM, the Politics for the Poor-Indonesian Student League for Democracy (LMND-PRM), Perempuan Mahardika, SIEKAP, SPEED, the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), the Global Justice Institute (IGJ), the KPA, the Indonesian Association of the Families of Missing Persons (Ikohi), Praxis, Movement (Pergerakan), the Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH), the Coalition of the People Arising to Resist (Korban), the Poor People’s Alliance (ARM), the Indonesian Buskers Union (SPI) and the Coalition of People Against Eviction (PAWANG).
[Translated by James Balowski. See also Call to action – Resist and defeat the fuel price rises!.]
