DATE=4/1/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=INDONESIA PROTESTS (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-260833
BYLINE=PATRICIA NUNAN
DATELINE=JAKARTA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Riot police in the Indonesian capital,
Jakarta, fired tear gas and beat student demonstrators
protesting near the home of former President Suharto.
As Patricia Nunan reports from Jakarta, the students
were protesting increases in the price of electricity
and demanding that the former leader be tried on
corruption charges.
TEXT:
/// ACT SOUND OF STREET DISTURBANCE FADE
UNDER ///
About 300 students were protesting near the home of
former President Suharto, who ruled Indonesia for 32
years until he was forced from power in the midst of a
deep economic crisis.
But when the students tried to break through police
lines to continue their protests, about 100 officers
in riot gear used wooden sticks to beat them back.
And when the students responded by throwing rocks,
police began firing tear gas.
The students were protesting against the government's
decision to raise the cost of public transport as well
as impose a 30 percent increase in the price of
electricity. They were also demanding that former
President Suharto be put on trial for alleged
corruption. They say it is unfair for the government
to raise the cost of power and transport for ordinary
Indonesians, when it was Mr. Suharto who caused
Indonesia's economic crisis.
Nizar is a leader of the student group "City Forum."
/// NIZAR ACT ///
If the president of this government today has
brave -- or courage -- to make the law become
solid in Indonesia -- just put down Suharto.
Because Suharto is the source of a lot of
tragedy in Indonesia.
/// END ACT///
Estimates of the amount of wealth Mr. Suharto is said
to have accrued during his 32 years in power run into
the billions of dollars. The former president has
consistently denied allegations of corruption.
Proposed increases in the price of electricity and
fuel led to widespread student protests in May of 1998
and the demonstrations helped force Mr. Suharto from
power. But this time, the protests were smaller than
expected.
Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid announced
Friday that the government would not raise the cost of
fuel as it had previously planned. Labor and student
groups had threatened to bring thousands of protesters
onto the streets of the capital to force the
government to back down on the price increases.
The proposed increases were in line with demands by
the International Monetary Fund for the government to
end subsidies on fuel and power. The I-M-F is
providing Indonesia with a 46-billion dollar bailout
package to help rescue its economy, which collapsed in
August of 1997. (SIGNED)
NEB/PN/JP
01-Apr-2000 08:25 AM EDT (01-Apr-2000 1325 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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