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Indonesian Protestors Shot During Labor Rally
Thursday, 01 August 2002 14:33
| 28 Aug 2002Indonesian Protestors Shot During Labor RallyTake action now! Dear Friends, For more information on this case, please contact Garteks at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Please read these two articles about the recent demonstrations that have been held in Indonesia to protest Nike and Reebok's plans to cut orders to their Indonesian suppliers.
Appeal for action: Nike/PT Doson & Sample email to Nike Labor Rights Activists Shot in Cimahi Bandung, Indonesia source: Garteks-SBSI; Behindthelabel.org On Monday, 19 August 2002 workers and others in Cimahi Bandung, the capital of West Java, Indonesia held a huge demonstration (15,000 garment workers are reported to have participated) against drafts of two laws: a draft of a law on industrial relations dispute settlement and the draft law on placement and protection of employment. Participants included the local Garteks union, university students, NGO representatives, and others. Two trade unionists were shot by police during this demonstration. Garteks is requesting that letters be sent to the president of Indonesia protesting this incident. Information on the incident There were about 8000 people moving from the PT. GISTEX Nanjung Cimahi area to the West Java Parliament building at about 8 a.m. on the morning of August 19th. They were stopped by the police from Cibabat Area at approximately 12 o'clock, on Pasteur Street. While field negotiations were taking place, unexpectedly onlookers threw stones at the demonstrators. It remains unclear who these people were. This stone throwing created chaos. Suparjo (chairman of GARTEKS at PT Indo Putra Cimahi) tried to calm down the demonstrators by waving his hands. Iptu Gultom (a police officer) grabbed his hands. Suparjo tried to release his arms, causing the police officer to drop his gun from his hand. Suparjo tried to help the police pick up his gun, intending to give it back to the police officer. But the police officer was knocked down by the crowd. Next, the police officer retrieved his gun and shot Suparjo in his left calf. Suparjo was brought to the police station at 9 p.m after he was discharged from M.Toha Cimahi Hospital in West Java. At 7 a.m. that same morning another group of 5000 demonstrators moved from Cibaligo to the West Java Parliament with the same demands against the drafts of the two laws. They were stopped by the West Bandung Police as they arrived at Padjajaran. Field negotiations took place and the group was allowed to continue their procession. But at that time Tatang (leader of GARTEKS local union in Cimahi West Java) was taken to the police station on Doctor Oten Street. The group of demonstrators were stopped by the police again. The police tried to scatter them. But some of the demonstators successfully reached the parliament building. Another rally coordinator, Syarif Hidayat, was allegedly shot in the head. He was also taken to a hospital, treated and released. At this time approximately 31 people from various organizations are still being detained at the Cimahi and Cibabat Police stations. They report that while being interrogated interrogation they were beaten by the police. Also they reported that their hair was shaved off by the police. Tatang is still being interrogated in relation to the incident. This incident would not have happened if the police did not stopped the demonstrators. Still a big question is why, when the police stopped the demonstrators, unknown people began to throw rocks at the demonstrators. It is also unclear why the police stopped the demonstrators in the middle of their march and not at the beginning. The police have an obligation to protect the demonstrators, not repress them, because Indonesian law guarantees freedom of speech. Therefore Garteks is seeking support in protesting this matter. Background on the draft laws
The coalition fears that the far-reaching nature of KABB, which promises to overhaul existing labor laws in favor of expanding international investment, will wipe away many of the hard-won labor rights of Indonesians, such as the right to strike. "Under the bill on the settlement of labor disputes (sic), the government would allow striking workers to be tried by the courts," said Etty Rostiawaty, a rally coordinator and leader of FNPBI. "And under the bill on labor development and protection (sic), striking workers are subject to fines of Rp 400 million and four years in prison." KABB, which if adopted could go into effect as early as September, are a result of pressure from international agencies, specifically the International Monetary Fund (IMF), to restructure the Indonesian economy. An IMF report released earlier this year cautioned that, "a continuation of the recent upward trend in minimum wages risks undermining Indonesia's competitiveness," and urged the government to reconsider its minimum wage policy. Although Indonesia's economy has rebounded following the crisis of 1997-1998, the monthly minimum wage is currently only about Rp 400,000 (about US$46). More than two-thirds of the population still currently makes less than the international poverty line, set at $2 a day. And the World Bank estimates that a similarly large proportion of the people "suffer inadequate access to basic social services and proper nutrition." Yet many international corporations, like Nike and Reebok, have reportedly used the raise in minimum wage as the rationale for fleeing Indonesia in favor of even lower wages and relaxed labor policies in China and other parts of southeast Asia. Recent decisions by Nike and Reebok to move production out of Indonesia have resulted in large rallies by workers to protect their jobs. On August 20, over 3,000 workers marched through Jakarta to protest the withdrawal of orders by Nike from its PT Doson factory. The move could leave approximately 7,000 workers jobless. On July 29, over 1,000 workers took to the streets to protest Reebok's decision to pull its orders from their plant, PT Primarindo. Over 5,400 workers stand to lose their jobs following the Reebok move. Sample letter -- please adapt and send today! To: Megawati Soekarnoputri Subject: Incident at Cimahi Dear President Soekarnoputri, We are contacting you to express our concern regarding the incident that happened at Cimahi West Java, Indonesia on August 19th. A peaceful demonstration was stopped by police, attacked by onlookers, and in the end two demonstrators were shot by police. We are saddened to learn of the repression of the right to free speech and the use of violence against peaceful demonstrators. We call upon you to use your influence to press for the release of the demonstrators who are still being detained. And importantly we urge you reconsider the two draft laws which were the focus of the demonstration. We understand that the two proposed laws -- a draft of a law on industrial relations dispute settlement and the draft law on placement and protection of employment would undermine workers rights. Indonesian workers have gone through a long process of struggle to earn these rights; please do not take them away. Sincerely,
Garteks requests that CCs of your letters be sent to: 1. KAPOLRI 2. KAPOLDA Jawa Barat 3. KAPOLRES Cimahi | |
The protestors were representing a new coalition of trade unions that are opposing the two draft laws, which are referred to as KABB. The coalition includes Garteks, FNPBI (the national Front for Indonesian Workers Struggle), Gaspermindo, TSK, and others.Follow CCC:
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