Kompas - January 27,
2010
R.A. Khairun Nisa, Jakarta –
The Indonesian People's Opposition Forum (sic) (FOR Indonesia) believes that
the first 100 days of the administration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
and Vice President Boediono (SBY-Boediono) has been a failure. As an initial
step, FOR Indonesia, which was established by 36 mass organisations, will hold
simultaneous mass actions on January 28.
"The SBY-Boediono
regime has failed and will undeniably bring suffering to the ordinary people if
it remains in power," said FOR Indonesia spokesperson Nining Elitos at a
press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday January 27.
The National Summit, which
was organised to develop a five-year road map of economic development, will not
benefit the people. "The national summit is simply a means to smooth the
way for capital domination and is simultaneously a road to the intensification
of the people's suffering. This is the reason why the basic issues that are
causing the people to suffer more and more, namely the domination of
international capital, the foreign debt trap, free trade and capital
liberalisation, are precisely what is being strengthened by this national
summit", said Nining.
Nining went on to say that
FOR Indonesia is offering a solution to overcome the people's dissatisfaction.
"National industrialisation under the control of the people, genuine
agricultural reform under the control of the people, the nationalisation of
vital assets under the control of the people, gender equality for women, the
direct participation of the people in all public decision making, and the
protection of people's basic rights," she said.
At tomorrow's action, they
will also be calling on all Indonesians to participate in this fight. "All
of this can only be undertaken by people's power in the form of a people's
united government," she concluded.
The action on Thursday will
be centered on the State Palace with protesters setting off from their
respective offices. Following this, at 12noon, they with gather at the Hotel
Indonesia traffic circle then march towards the State Palace.
FOR Indonesia is made up of
a number of organisations including the Indonesian Forum for the Environment
(Walhi), Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) and the Indonesian Migrant Workers
Union (SBMI).
[Translated by James Balowski.]
