[A-List] Indonesia: The shit's hitting the fan in Indonesia

[Sabri Oncu <soncu@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

The above is from:

http://sf.indymedia.org/news/2003/01/1561641.php

I used to read Jakarta Post almost daily but after the shit hit
the fan in Turkey, I stopped reading it. Does anyone here know
what is going on in Indonesia?

Best,
Sabri

PS: Below articles are from The Jakarta Post, Jan 21, 2003

++++++++++

Hundreds of lawyers to sue IMF

JAKARTA (JP): Hundreds of lawyers, grouped in the Team of Lawyers
Who Care about the People's Hardship, will sue the
Washington-based International Monetary Fund (IMF), team
coordinator Hotman Paris Hutapea said here on Monday.

"We will sue the IMF at the Central Jakarta District Court as the
international agency has failed to help revive Indonesia's
economic sector from the prolonged crisis," Hotman was quoted as
saying by Antara.

The six-year stint of the IMF in Indonesia has worsened the
economic crisis, he said, noting that the IMF's advice on
Indonesia's economic sector, such as the scrapping of subsidies
for fuel and electricity, was baseless.

The team will gather in front of the National Development
Planning Board (Bappenas) building to collect lawyers' signatures
to sue the IMF. Hotman did not say when the protest would take
place, but said it would be held in front of the Bappenas
building as the office is the agency which formulates national
development strategies.

However, Hotman denied that the protest would be carried out
based on a request by Bappenas chief, Kwik Kian Gie. "The protest
will show that lawyers care. We do not want to be provoked," he
said.

Hotman also said they would send a letter of protest to the IMF
headquarters in Washington, the IMF representative office in the
Asia-Pacific region and the IMF office in Jakarta.

Article at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detaillatestnews.asp?fileid=2003012
0195827&irec=3

+++++++++++

Govt announces cut prices amid nationwide protests

JAKARTA (JP): Following nationwide protests against the recent
fuel and utility price hikes, the government announced on Monday
that it would reduce the price of diesel oil but would
maintainthe price of premium oil, Antara reported.

The government, who recently announced the postponement of
telephone rates this year, has reduced diesel oil from Rp 1,890
per liter to Rp 1,650 per liter. The price of premium oil is
still Rp 1,810per liter.

The price of kerosene for household consumption will remain at Rp
700 per liter, but the price of kerosene for industrial use will
be reduced from Rp 1,970 to Rp 1,800 per liter. The price of
diesel oil for industrial use will also be reduced from Rp
1,860to Rp 1,650 per liter, said the director of state-owned
company Pertamina, Baihaki Hakim.

He announced after a Cabinet meeting that the decision would come
into effect on Tuesday.

On the same occasion, Minister of Finance Boediono added that the
domestic price of oil would fully depend on political tension
within the Gulf region and Venezuela.

The government will be able to maintain the new prices as long as
the political conflict in the Gulf region and the strikes
inVenezuela continue, he said.

Nationwide protests have reached a fever pitch in the country
after the government announced that it would raise fuel prices,
electricity and telephone rates early this year to cut the
subsidies from the cash-strapped state budget.

Article at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detaillatestnews.asp?fileid=2003012
0154935&irec=5