[Marxism] Students kick off nationalisation campaign in Indonesia

[Peter Boyle]

National Student League for Democracy (LMND) To Build Up Nation-Wide 
Nationalisation Campaign

Saturday (March 1, 2008)

Beginning last Monday, LMND held two-day demonstrations in Jakarta to 
rally the campaign for the nationalisation of oil, gas, and mining 
industries.

On the first day, about 150 students representing several campuses in 
Java and Sumatra protested against ExxonMobil in front of the commercial 
  building that houses its headquarters.

The richest energy company was targeted because it recently attacked 
Chavez's anti-imperialist government by taking legal action to freeze 
the assets of the Venezuelan state's oil company, PDVSA.

"Therefore, LMND made a good decision in protesting in front of Exxon's 
  headquarters, as the company rightly symbolizes foreign corporation in 
  the extractive sector," said Rudi Hartono, an LMND leader.

ExxonMobil is just one of the dozens of foreign companies that exploit 
92% of Indonesia's hydrocarbon and mineral wealth.

Central Java LMND's Chairperson, Maman, said that "It is so unjust that 
  ExxonMobil gained USD $40.6 Billion yearly profit while almost 3 
billion  people in the world live in poverty and at least 25,600 
children die  each day from malnutrition."

Some protesters carried placards with pictures of Fidel, Chavez, and 
Morales, along with Indonesia's former left nationalist President, 
Sukarno, with the slogan "Nationalise oil, gas, and mining industries 
for free and quality education!"

LMND's General Chairperson, Lalu Hilman Afriandi, mentioned in his 
speech that "millions of Indonesian school-age children have dropped out 
  due to lack of funds; the Indonesian poor are more and more denied 
access to affordable education."

The protest was ended by reading the 'proclamation of national 
liberation', an assertion to multinationals to respect and acknowledge 
national sovereignty as well as a declaration of genuine 
political-economic independence modeled on the country's anti-colonial 
'proclamation of independence' of 1945.

The next day, 130 LMND activists marched to the Ministry of Energy and 
Mineral Resources (ESDM) to protest the government's continuing 
submission to the interests of multinationals.

Furthermore, a range of legislation has opened the door for more 
plundering of the country's wealth by foreign interests.

The Hydrocarbon Law (2001), for instance, stripped bare the state's 
sovereignty on the management of hydrocarbon compared to the earlier 
legislation of the 60s, therefore contradicting Article 33 of the 
Constitution that states that natural resources "shall be controlled by 
  the state and shall be used for the greatest welfare of the people."

Some representatives of LMND's National Executive entered the Ministry's 
  office to deliver an open letter demanding the revocation of such 
legislation; and the restructuring of all oil, gas, and mining deals 
with foreign companies on the basis of:

1. The fulfillment of domestic energy needs 2. Increase of state 
ownership (divest shares belonging to foreign  companies) 3. Increase of 
state revenue by raising the state's royalties and  cutting cost 
recovery value.

The purpose of these demands is to educate that Indonesia must 
immediately 'change its course' to reject neo-colonialism and imperialism.

"This is just a prelude of the people's movement to nationalise the 
extractive industries," said the Action Coordinator. "LMND will continue 
  to protest foreign companies' offices in every region"

Nationalisation is one of the three main programs of the National 
Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas), the political party that LMND 
built with other organisations to contest in the 2009 election; 
cancellation of foreign debt and national industrialisation constitute 
the second and third programs.

According to Papernas' monthly publication, Berdikari 
(http://papernas.org/berdikari) - a popular acronym meaning 
self-sufficiency, coined by Sukarno - the campaign for the three main 
programs (nicknamed the Three Banners (Tripanji)) is politically aimed 
at polarising the political currents leading to the election--showing 
them to be pro or anti foreign oppression.

"The Parliament has just introduced one of the toughest electoral 
verification systems in the world to strengthen the position of the big 
  ruling parties and to establish two-party democracy by excluding the 
left," explained Katarina Pujiastuti, Papernas' International Officer.

"Despite these immense obstacles and several attacks from militarily 
organised 'anti-communist' right wing groups and thugs," she continued 
"Papernas is committed to intervening in the election to offer 
alternatives to the people and to rally against the neo-colonialism and 
  imperialism that have caused profound crises in people's livelihood."

* * *

Also on February 25 about 100 students from LMND North Moluccas, 
together with several other organisations (GAMHAS Ternate, LISMI 
Ternate, and SLAVERY University Hairun), carried out a street 
demonstration in the heart of the Ternate City. The action lasted four 
hours and its route went pass the offices of the Governor the North 
Moluccas, Gedung DPRD North Moluccas, and the offices Radio Republic Of 
  Indonesia. Apart from demanding the nationalisation of foreign mining 
  (such as P.T. Nusa Halmahera Minerals) to pay for free education, the 
  students demanded the rejection of the BHP Bill, now before 
parliament;  the revision of Sisdiknas UU 2003; higher prices for local 
products such  as cloves, nutmeg, chocolate, and copra; higher workers' 
pay; lower fuel  and oil prices; along with subsidies for poor fisherfolk.

LMND also organised a protest of 300 students and poor farmers around 
the "Nationalise the foreign mining companies" in Maubere, Flores, on 
February 25.

On February 29, Papernas Sulteng carried out an action around the demand 
  of the "Nationalisation of foreign mining is a road out of the energy 
  crisis and the domestic industry".

The action that was held in the centre of the Palu City (the Hasanuddin 
  Roundabout) with drew about 40 people and also focussed on the 
phenomenon of blackouts and the scarcity of fuel oil in the Palu City.

DPD-Papernas Sulteng considered that the two crises were a result of the 
  government's lack of seriousness in constructing the national industry.

Apart from being filled up by political speeches from various supporting 
  mass organizations of Papernas, the action was livened up by the 
appearance happening art from students from the Palu City LMND. Around 
25 students from the National Students League for Democracy  (LMND) 
Labuhan Batu, again took to the streets on March 3 and marched to  the 
offices of the DPRD Ii Labuhan Batu.

They took to the streets to express the demand for the nationalisation 
of the foreign mining industry to pay for free education and the 
resolution of problems of the campus in Labuhan Batu.

PAPERNAS and its affiliates will be mobilising around this demand right 
  through March 2008.

(Source: http://papernas.org/berdikari)

  PAPERNAS THE NATIONAL LIBERATION PARTY OF UNITY Jln. Tebet Dalam IIG 
No. 1, Jakarta Selatan, 12820. Telp/Fax:  021-8354513. Email: 
papernas at yahoo.com