The story behind the preparation of Public gathering to demand the Nationalization of mining industries march 2007

March 29, 2007 will be a day to reaffirm the struggle of The National Liberation Party of Unity (PAPERNAS). At least 2000 members from Jakarta will act to take sovereignty back to the people.

During the past few months, the Jakarta leadership councils and members have been working to prepare the coming mass gathering and rally. For three months, we have been holding daily meetings among the urban poor, distributing leaflets and campaigning in support of the nationalisation of the mining industry.

The members at the base have been making

Daily contributions to gather the money for transport and food on for public gathering on 29 march 2007.

We will rally outside the Education Ministry as well as the Labour

Ministry to protest their anti-poor policies. Later we will rally outside the Shangri-La hotel where a high level meeting is being held to review the UN Millennium Development Goal Programme, organised by the Indonesian and Norwegian government.

The day of protest will climax with a rally at the sight of the Independence Proclamation Monument where we will put forward our demand for the nationalisation of the mining industry. The rally will also be

attended by other popular figures, including economists and artists who share common idea of nationalization of mining industries as as a necessary action to rescue people from crisis.

The true face of Indonesian democracy

Although the peoples political and economic rights are guaranteed

under the constitution, the realisation of such rights still far from people’s expectation

In accordance with regulations, Papernas submitted a formal letter to inform the police of the public gathering. Normally, the police should issue a receipt to us stating they have received these incoming letters.

But today, Papernas faces many political obstacles that hide behind bureaucratic rules.

First we submit our letters to the local police station who then tell us to submit the letters directly to the national police. Meanwhile, the

national police request us to obtain a recommendation letter from Jakarta Regional police station.

On March 26 we finally met regional police. The heads of security

intelligent division stated that security is their main concern. They identified that various organizations -- FBR (Betawi forum) FPI (Islamic Defender Front) , communication forum of 1966, GERAK (Anti communist movement) will mobilize thousands of people to stop the PAPERNAS gathering.

Having argued to prevent horizontal conflict, forced them to think twice to issue the receipt of our letter.

We argued that it is our political right to hold such activity. We

urged the police, as state apparatus, should act to ensure the enjoyment of our rights.

Police kept saying that they are in a dilemma and can not do anything about those hostile group.

It is exactly the same as what happened in Papernas congress in Jogjakarta and regional declaration in Surabaya, east Java when militia groups threatened to disperse the congresses. The police did nothing even though they could see that the militia were armed with knives and machetes.

On March 29, 2007 staff of the National Police contacted me and asked me to submit additional requirement: Legalization of the Party, permission from the venue and the programme of activity (which we had faxed it earlier except the legalization of the Party). At the very last minute,police ask us to sign the statement that we will voluntarily disperse if the situation turn to be insecure. We are absolutely rejected their request. They are supposed to disperse the violent group; they should not disperse us who are organizing a peaceful gathering.

It is only in the afternoon of the 28th that the national police call and promise to give the letters. Three hours later, we were able to

collect the letters/

Both national and regional police will not take any action to stop the other groups. Instead, they tried to convince us to response wisely

to any developing situation that might lead to provocation or Violence.

The threats and police ignorance do not only indicate there will be no effort to protect the Papernas activities from disruption. This is also an action to stop democracy from flourishing, to stop the people winning their rights. Despite this repression, PAPERNAS will continue the struggle to win the people’s rights.

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