Statement of the People Accuse Front (FRM)

Release all activists of FRM, FIS Mercubuana, FORKOT, and FRM/LMND detained in various parts of Indonesia!
Reject Fuel Price Increase!
Reduce Prices of Basic Needs!
Fight Neoliberal Policies and Kick-Out Its Lackeys!

Since the government proposed its plan to raise fuel price, waves and waves of mass actions spread all over Indonesia. The rejection has reached and involved almost all poular sectors such as workers, peasants, poor, students, fishermen, and small businesses. It has been expressed in various creative ways like hijacking a fuel tank, sealing fuel/gas stations, sit-ins, rallies, and petitions. Those were the means by which students and the people deal with government's measures that does not have the slightest care for people aspirations.

Ini several places, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice-President Jusuf Kalla (SBY-JK) through their coercive apparatus (Police/Army) carried out brutal attacks resulting in clashes with anti fuel price increase protests. In Bima, NTB, 11 activists were arbitrarily detained. In Manado, North Sulawesi, three people were arrested during a protest against fuel price increase. In Ternate, North Mollucas, police dispersed a protest rally and arrested 14 protesters.*

In Jakarta, the People Accuse Front (FRM) had carried out several anti-fuel price rise protests on May 12th, 20th, and 21st. On the 20th, thirteen activists from FIS and Mercubuana who were about to join FRM rally from Hotel Indonesia roundabout to State Palace, were arrested for no apparent reason. Today (May 21st) 18 FRM activists were also arrested and beaten by police. The 18 activists currently detained in Jakarta Police HQ are Bilal Muhammad (LMND), Maximilian Renaldo (LMND), Wahyu, Ilal, Teddy, Aris, Humuntal, Murherodian, Chubal, Hadi, Iksan, Ferdinand, Irvan, Bimbi, Eko, Hardi, Syarifuddin, and Murdani. Police had also arrested tens of activists from City Forum (FORKOT) who also demonstrated against fuel price increase.

Police's arrests and brutal attacks against the masses that reject fuel price rise are evidences of SBY-JK fear and reactionary measures in dealing with students and people's protests.It also affirmed our conviction on the powerful foreign interests behind the fuel price rise plan. This foreign interest manifested itself in the form of control over Indonesia's petroleum fields, and oil and gas export orientation that serve energy demands of developed countries at the expense of scarce domestic supply. Up to this day, Indonesia's natural wealth especially oil and gas has poured into pockets of foreign transnationals such as Shell, Chevron, ExxonMobil, BP, CNOOC, ConocoPhilips, and many more. Foreign intervention in the nation's hydrocarbon management is clearly seen in the Law 21 year 2001 on Oil and Gas, and Law 25 year 2008 on Capital Investment. Neoliberal economic figures, ministers, and their supporting political parties stubbornly defended the exploitation of the Indonesian people. They are the real culprit of current economic disaster. It is them that police should arrest and detain for being lackeys of foreign interests, selling off the nation's sovereignty and independence to imperialist powers.

Fuel price increase will bring destructive impacts on the Indonesian people's livelihood. Prices will soar further despite the already high basic need prices due to food crisis. Fuel price increase will also negatively affect the manufacturing industry, one of the pillars of national productive forces. Rising production costs will increase higher farming equipments and fertilizers. The Direct Cash Assistance (BLT) program will not in any way alleviate the negative impacts of fuel price increase because the value received by BLT recipients is almost nothing compared to the skyrocketing expenses caused by the increase.

Faced with problems above, the most appropriate way for the people to fight and reject the policy is through - like it or not - direct mass actions in the streets. Statements from SBY-JK that seeks to discredit people's protests are signs that the pro-imperialist regimes is getting more and more afraid of losing people's legitimacy, hence their downfall. There is no other way, the people must initiate a new way - a new economic direction, and a new government!

Therefore, we, the People Accuse Front, put forth these demands:

1. Release 18 FRM activists detained yesterday (May 21): Bilal Muhammad (LMND), Maximilian Renaldo (LMND), Wahyu, Ilal, Teddy, Aris,
Humuntal, Murherodian, Chubal, Hadi, Iksan, Ferdinand, Irvan, Bimbi, Eko, Hardi, Syarifuddin, and Murdani; 13 activists of FIS and
Mercubuana, tens of City Forum (FORKOT) activists, and tens of activists from FRM and LMND detained in other parts of the country.

2. Cancel government's plan to raise fuel price and cut prices of basic needs.

3. Fight neoliberal policies and kick out pro-neoliberal political - ministers and political parties - and economic power.


Jakarta, May 22nd 2008
People Accuse Front - Front Rakyat Menggugat (FRM)
Spokeperson: Lalu Hilman Afriandi (HP +62 818467080)


* Due to some misunderstanding in communication, when reports received from other parts of the country were urgent and sometimes, unfortunately, not very consistent, we made a mistake by claiming that all 14 protesters arrested in Ternate were LMND members. Only one of the fourteen arrested was LMND activist, although LMND's role in the protest was prominent. Apology for the mistake.

Labels: Anti-Neoliberal Imperialism, Indonesian Politics, Statement