Max Lane Indonesia Southeast Asia and International Affairs

This afternoon the union covering all employees in the national state owned electricity company joined FPN and declared they would join the May 21 actions. The union covering workers in the companies operating all the Java and Bali based electric power stations also joined. The unions covering the main airports also joined.

All these unions have been campaigning against privatisation of their sectors in one form or another. Recently, I spoke on a platform with the secretary-general of the electricty company union, where he also explained their support for broader policies of nationalisation and opposition to the elite parties.

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Meanwhile Megawati has stated she also opposes the fuel price rises, despite PDIP havingsupported the measure in parliament. Now also Amien Rais is urging the people to demonstrate: "selamat demo, semoga berhasil", "have a good demo, we hope you succeed.":

Even GOLKAR officials have reprimanded the stae intelligence services for making accusations that the demos are being manipulated by mysterious "third parties".

While there are more and more signs of a snowball effect, these round of mobilisations should still be seen as (a) a dress rehearsal for June 1 - closer to the actual date of deciding on the oil price rises and (b) a first stage of a longer process of general unification and rebuilding stage of the aksi movement.

Max