Indonesia: The 10 years anniversary of the Reformasi movement saw radical protests against the increase in fuel and oil prices

On the 20th and 21st of May it was the 10 years anniversary of the reformasi movement in Indonesia which kicked the former dictator General Suharto from power. It coincided with a mass protest involving more than 20.000 people against the plans of president Susilo Bambang to increase the prices of fuel and oil in the next month.

The demonstration was dominated by students, workers, the urban poor and artists. The demonstration, which went for the presidential palace, was also directed against increases in prices for food stuffs. One of the central demands was for the nationalisation of all the oil producing companies in Indonesia. President Susilo Bambang on the other hand, have made a deal with imperialist capital as well as with the national ruling class in Indonesia for further price increases. This is a part of his neoliberal economic agenda. For the working class and the poor, this will mean a harder situation as a result of increasing economic pressure. The government, of course, blames the rising prices of oil on the world market. But we have heard this before, ironically the exact kind of arguments was used 10 years ago when Suharto made similar decisions.

On the 21st of May many protesters gathered in front of the presidential palace for the 10 years anniversary of the reformasi movement and to protest against fuel and oil prices. Most of the protesters where from the student movement in Jakarta, but workers from the trade unions and peasants also participated. The protest ended with a riot and several protesters where captured by the police. The action will not stop however. In the next days there will be many protests in the whole of Indonesia – the student movement and the Left is preparing for demonstrations in cities like Medan, Bandung, Surabaya, Makassar, Jogja, Semarang and Padang. The goal is to force the president to cancel the price increases and to mobilise support for the demand to nationalise all the important industries in Indonesia.

Activists in REVOLUTION Indonesia will report more about this in the next days.

See pictures from the protest in Jakarta:
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