ASIA-PACIFIC 
Indonesians riot over fuel costs
Wednesday, 25 June, 2008
Indonesians angry over rising fuel prices have taken to the streets in protest. (AAP)
About 1,000 Indonesian protesters angered by the death of a student killed during a fuel-price protest, have burned cars and hurled stones at police guarding the Parliament.
Participants in the demonstration in Jakarta demanded that the government revoke a 30 per cent fuel price increase imposed last month. The dead student had been protesting the price hike.
Protesters started at Parliament, then headed to other parts of the capital where they blocked traffic, vandalised property and set fire to government vehicles, said police spokesman Lt. Col. Untung Yoga Ana.
Police used water cannon to douse the flames and disperse protesters trying to break into the grounds of Parliament. Later, a car was also set alight outside the Catholic Atmajaya University on ne of the city's busiest commuter routes, snarling traffic for kilometres.
The main group carried a fake coffin and pictures of Maftuh Fauzi, a 27-year-old student at the National University who had been among 100 fuel price protesters arrested May 24. He died in hospital last Friday, but there were conflicting reports about the cause.
The Indonesian Doctors' Association was seeking clarification from Pertamina Hospital, which said Fauzi died of HIV/AIDS.
Students say he was beaten by police and died of his injuries.
A National Human Rights Commission investigation concluded Tuesday that the police raid on Fauzi's university campus violated the students' rights and called for an independent autopsy for Fauzi, said commissioner Nur Kholis.
Indonesia's government raised petrol pump prices by nearly 30 per cent on May 23 because of the surging cost of oil and gas on te global market. The move triggered generally peaceful protests throughout the vast Indonesian archipelago, a nation of 235 million people.
Source: AP
Participants in the demonstration in Jakarta demanded that the government revoke a 30 per cent fuel price increase imposed last month. The dead student had been protesting the price hike.
Protesters started at Parliament, then headed to other parts of the capital where they blocked traffic, vandalised property and set fire to government vehicles, said police spokesman Lt. Col. Untung Yoga Ana.
Police used water cannon to douse the flames and disperse protesters trying to break into the grounds of Parliament. Later, a car was also set alight outside the Catholic Atmajaya University on ne of the city's busiest commuter routes, snarling traffic for kilometres.
The main group carried a fake coffin and pictures of Maftuh Fauzi, a 27-year-old student at the National University who had been among 100 fuel price protesters arrested May 24. He died in hospital last Friday, but there were conflicting reports about the cause.
The Indonesian Doctors' Association was seeking clarification from Pertamina Hospital, which said Fauzi died of HIV/AIDS.
Students say he was beaten by police and died of his injuries.
A National Human Rights Commission investigation concluded Tuesday that the police raid on Fauzi's university campus violated the students' rights and called for an independent autopsy for Fauzi, said commissioner Nur Kholis.
Indonesia's government raised petrol pump prices by nearly 30 per cent on May 23 because of the surging cost of oil and gas on te global market. The move triggered generally peaceful protests throughout the vast Indonesian archipelago, a nation of 235 million people.
Source: AP