Peoples Demand Front (FRM), May 20, 2008
At least 3,000 people mobilized on May 20 through the FRM (see NOTE below) to protest the proposed fuel price increases. (Update info: some website media reports yesterday, including KOMPAS TV, put the attendance as high as 8-10,000, although the May 21 KOMPAS says "hundreds". The daily SEPUTAR INDONESIA gives a figure of 2,000. From TV footage I would think 2-4,000 may be a possible figure. I still no real hard data on the size of the various components of this demo.)
The FRM leaflet distributed before the event had three demands:
1. Reject the increase in price increases
2. Lower the prices of basic consumer goods
3. Kick out the Neo-Liberal agents: Boediono, Sri Mulyana, Marie Elka Pangestu. Aburizal Bakrie and Purnomo Yusgiantoro. [All ministers in the cabinet dealing with economic issues.]
Comment:
I was only able to see close up the early part of this march. I saw around 300-500 most Indonesian Urban Poor Union (SMRI) members making up the bulk of a PAPERNAS contingent, the first to arrive, and some other smaller contingents. I heard that the total mobilization later grew to around 3,000. Some reports say some unions (I haven’t been able to identify which ones) joined and the DTI (see below). The news website detik.com says about 300 people are sleeping over in the Proclamation Park tonight, in central Jakarta. A 1pm Detik.com report also confirmed around 500 people there by then. A FRM spokesperson predicted that about 3,000 people would later attend.
The leaflet that was distributed, with the demands above, reflects the agenda of the elite based forces connected to these groups. There is no mention of the demand to nationalize the oil and gas industries, as taken up by the other alliances, as a key solution to solving the pressures on the mass of the people. (Although I did see a few banners with this demand among the rally.) The emphasis on dismissing particular cabinet ministers as a political solution probably also reflects the pressure of elite political forces eyeing these posts. The other alliances take a clear position that the elite as a whole has to “step aside” and make way for popular forces to wield power.
NOTE:
There are three alliances operating in Jakartaat the moment, formed in response to the government’s decision to increase fuel prices. These are:
National Liberation Front (FPN), a coalition of socialist political groups, trade unions, peasant groups, and progressive NGOs. (see http://www.asia-pacific-solidarity.net/focus/maxlane_newleftactivistallianceformed_140508.htm AND http://www.asia-pacific-solidarity.net/focus/fpn_resist&defeatthefuelpriceincreases_170508.htm)
Front Perjuangan Rakyat (FPR) – an alliance of national democratic sectoral organizations, some migrant worker groups and farmers groups. The ideological emphasis of this group relates to the fundamental importance of land-reform and peasant struggle. The farmer group, AGRA, is an important part of this coalition.
Peoples Demand Front (FRM) – an alliance of groups, coming out of the democracy movement, but operating in tandem or with some kind of connection with elite based political parties or formations. This group includes, REPDEM, working with Megawati’s PDIP; PAPERNAS, preparing to do electoral work with the half-Islamist, mostly opportunist Star Reformation Party and several other groups connected to elite elements. It also includes the Indonesian Framers Council (DTI), a recent split from the old Suharto regime’s peasant union.