Emeute anti-corruption à Makassar en Indonésie – décembre 2009

Protests hit towns, cities as violence erupts in Makassar

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Thu, 12/10/2009

International Anti-Corruption Day was marked with demonstrations in many cities across the nation Wednesday, with violence breaking out in at least one of the protests.

The KFC in Ratulangi, Makassar, suffered the brunt of the attack during the protest, where students also damaged at least three cars at the fast food restaurant.

The anarchy started as police clashed with university students during a rally involving some 5,000 people, and then used tear gas and water cannon to disperse it.

The clash broke out after students began pelting stones at the South Sulawesi gubernatorial office on Jl. Urip Sumoharjo.

A police post outside Hasanuddin University was also vandalized.

The clash continued with protesters throwing stones at nearby commercial buildings.

It was not the first time that student protests had turned violent in Makassar, which is renowned as a hotbed of anarchic demonstrators.

In Cirebon, demonstrators blocked a section of the northern coast road linking West Java and Jakarta for around one and a half hours until 11 a.m., causing a two-kilometer traffic jam along the street.

Protest coordinator Abdullah said the blockage on Jl. HR Dharsono was to show that the people were « really angry » over the widespread practice of corruption in the country.

Sporadic protests were held at four places in Bandung, West Java, involving thousands of students, youths, workers and farmers.

Several protesters ate rice and salt and burned a rat effigy during a rally outside Bandung’s Gedung State Building to symbolize the negative impacts of corruption on the poor.

In Pekanbaru, the Riau Prosecutor’s Office marked International Anti-Corruption Day by distributing posters of three fugitive graft suspects – former Rokan Hulu Regent Ramlan Zas, former Rokan Hulu resettlement and infrastructure office head E.H. Daulay and former PT Siak Zamrud Pusako director Nader Taher.

A noisy protest took place in Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi, with students setting fire to a picture of Vice President Boediono, whom they accused of being the most responsible for the Rp 6.76 trillion (US$715 million) government bailout of Bank Century.

They urged President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to step down over the scandal.

Yudhoyono’s popularity has already come under threat due to the scandals surrounding the Corruption Eradication Commission and the bailout of Bank Century.

The President had said that he believed the protests were partly aimed at destabilizing his government and toppling him.

Large but peaceful demonstrations were staged in many other towns and cities across the archipelago, including Batam, Palembang, Jayapura, Mataram, Surabaya, Pamekasan, Palu, Jember, Surakarta, Semarang, Banda Aceh and Malang.

Thousands gather in Indonesian anti-graft rallies

By IRWAN FIRDAUS (AP) – 1 day ago

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Students threw rocks at police who returned fire with tear gas and water cannons during one of several rallies across Indonesia on Wednesday to demand government action to end widespread corruption among politicians, police and other public officials.

More than two dozen rallies — annual events in this Muslim-dominated nation to mark International Anti-Corruption Day — were planned for the national capital of Jakarta and several of Indonesia’s other larger cities. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is under pressure to act after winning re-election in July on promises of stamping out graft.

Scores of students armed with rocks and wooden planks clashed with anti-riot police and vandalized commercial buildings at a rally in Makassar, the South Sulawesi provincial capital 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) northeast of Jakarta.

Police fired tear gas canisters and water cannons to break up the crowd after protesters tried to storm the provincial governor’s office. There was no immediate report of injuries or arrests among the 2,000 protesters.

« We want the government not only talking about eliminating corruption, » said Amang Wijaya, a 19-year-old student in Makassar. « But we want the government really prosecuting officials who are making the country bankrupt. »

In Jakarta, a dozen rallies caused downtown traffic chaos in this city of 13 million.

Thousands marched peacefully on to the presidential palace, some burning pictures of Yudhoyono, Vice President Boediono, who goes by only one name, and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani.

They called on Yudhoyono to address the crowd, but the president had left Jakarta for a meeting in Bali.

Hundreds of anti-riot police were stationed outside his palace.

« Today’s rally’s aim is not to attack politically any party, » protest organizer Usman Hamid said. « We just want to send a message to our fellow countrymen … that justice cannot be served while corruption is still rampant in our country. »

As well as in Jakarta and Makassar, large rallies were also staged in towns and cities across the archipelago in Pamekasan, Bandung, Surabaya, Jayapura, Palu, Jember, Solo, Semarang, Banda Aceh, Malang and Palembang.

Yudhoyono’s popularity has already been tested by scandals surrounding Indonesia’s anti-graft commission and a 6.76 trillion rupiah (US$715 million) government bailout of a bank. Earlier this week, he told The Jakarta Post that he believed the protests were partly aimed at destabilizing his government.

« My logic says these political movements want to discredit, shake and topple me in the short term, » the newspaper quoted him as saying Monday.

Yudhoyono said late Tuesday in a nationally televised speech that he would play a leading role in the fight against corruption.

However, he faces questions over the last year’s bank bailout, which critics have alleged was full of irregularities. Indonesian lawmakers last week launched an inquiry into allegations that the bailout benefited Yudhoyono’s re-election campaign — a claim he has denied.

His vice president and finance minister have also denied allegations of wrongdoing.

The Indonesian government’s struggle against graft has also been hurt by a dispute between the top anti-graft agency and rival police and prosecutors in Indonesia. Investigators concluded that senior law enforcers tried to frame anti-graft officials from the Corruption Eradication Commission on fabricated charges of bribery and blackmail.

According to advocacy group Transparency International’s corruption index, Indonesia ranks 111th out of 180 countries, with the 180th — Somalia — ranking the worst. The Corruption Eradication Commission has been key to efforts to fight corruption in recent years.

Demonstrators Damage Makassar KFC Restaurant in Indonesia Antigraft Protests

Friday 11 December 2009

While protests in Jakarta went relatively smoothly, an International Anti-Corruption Day rally in Makassar, South Sulawesi, took a violent turn after demonstrators began throwing stones at police and a Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) restaurant.

The incident occurred on Jalan Sam Ratulangi, Makassar. The police said it was the result of a “misunderstanding.”

The restaurant was full when protesters began throwing stones and many diners panicked and ran for cover. The rioters damaged vehicles belonging to restaurant patrons, as well as a police car. The protesters also threw stones at a building that used to be a Democratic Party branch office located directly opposite KFC.

“We have the situation under control. It’s only a misunderstanding where a demonstrator was hurt and we helped him but other people thought we had arrested him,” South Sulawesi Police spokesman Sr. Coms. Hery Subiansauri told Metro TV.

He said the rioters damaged a police car where the injured demonstrator was being treated.

“The situation is under control. We didn’t arrest anyone and nobody was injured,” he said.