Robert, Samarinda – Scores for students from the Mulawarman University in East Kalimantan provincial city of Samarinda demonstrated on March 30 against the 2009 general elections. During the action they destroyed or set fire to posters, banners and other promotional material belonging to legislative candidates.

The students began the action at 11.30 in front of their campus, after which they marched along Jl. Sungai Kerayan repeatedly chanting, “Reject the elections... reject the elections...”.

During the march, the students demolished or forcibly pulled down hundreds of posters and banners belonging to legislative candidates and any political party flags that they came across. The material was then collected at the Jl. Sungai Kerayan-Jl Pramuka intersection, which is the entrance to the Mulawarman University. After being stacked in a pile, the paraphernalia was set on fire.

“The law explicitly prohibits the placement of legislative candidate promotional material within 300 meters of the campus grounds”, shouted action spokesperson Dono.

In opposing the 2009 elections, the students said that the elections are a waste of the people’s money. Never mind that the results of the previous elections brought no change to the people’s lives or improvements to the nation. “The elections only benefit the political elite who [campaign] in the name of the ordinary people”, asserted Dodo.

After setting fire to the paraphernalia, the students then held a long-march through the main streets of Samarinda such as Jl. M. Yamin and Jl. Pramuka. At Jl. M. Yamin, which is also in the vicinity of the campus, the students again pulled down hundreds of posters and banners belonging to candidates and political parties. No police could be seen watching over the action. (djo/djo)

[Translated by James Balowski.]