Yogyakarta – Activists from the Student Struggle Centre for National Liberation (Pembebasan, formerly LMND-PRD) opposing planned increases to the basic electricity rate (TDL) next July held an action in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta on Wednesday June 16.
Action coordinator Arie Lamondjong said that although the TDL hike will not apply to poor subscribers, this will of course have a systemic flow-on effect on the Indonesian economy with the damaging effects from the increase influencing other sectors.
“The sector that will be most damaged by the policy to increase the TDL is the industrial sector. This will of course increase the price of industrial products that will culminate in increases to basic prices such as basic commodities and education will become even more expensive”, Lamondjong asserted during a break in the action.
In addition to this, the protesters also condemned the regime of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice President Boediono (SBY-Boediono) for being pro-imperialist. This has been repeatedly demonstrated by government policies that are not pro-people.
“Fuel restrictions, TDL increases, the law on education legal entity and other policies are evidence of policies that are not pro-people. Replace the SBY-Boediono regime with a government of the poor”, added Lamondjong.
After gathering at the Yogyakarta Monument the demonstrators then held a long march towards the main post office in the center of the city. During the march, they also stopped at the offices off the state-owned oil company Pertamina and the North Yogyakarta state-owned electricity company PLN on Jl. P Mangkubumi, where they set fire to tyres and gave speeches. (Dhi)
Notes
According to Makassar TV (16/6/10), Pembebasan organised protest actions against the planned electricity price hikes in the South Sulawesi capital of Makassar where they also called for free education and healthcare. Pos Kota Kaltim (17/6/10) meanwhile reported that Pembebasan activists demonstrated in the East Kalimantan city of Samarinda they criticised the PLN’s poor services and set fire to tyres.
[Translated by James Balowski.]
