'Protesters need to use intelligence'

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Thu, 05/11/2006 12:10 PM  |  Jakarta

Public displays of dissatisfaction with government policies are not against the law, but protesters must refrain from violence if they want anyone to listen to them. The Jakarta Post asked some residents about this issue.

Gatot, 44, is an official at the Information and Communications Ministry. He lives in Bintaro, Tangerang:

Protests are a good way of criticizing state policy. It is OK to have a different opinion.

However, protesters need to be intelligent about getting their message across; otherwise, they become just another banner-carrying, noisy crowd.

At mass rallies, many among the crowd do not really understand what they are doing there. Most of them are just tagging along, or were coerced into taking part.

Protests are generally poorly organized, so they sometimes end in violence.

Of course, it is not only the protesters who suffer the repercussions, but also the community.

If workers, or any other party, want to stage a protest, they should do so in a mature way. This requires expressing their own opinion and not being intimidated by others.

Yula, 22, is a journalist at a private broadcasting company in West Jakarta. She lives in Joglo, West Jakarta:

Although protests may not be the best way for workers to voice their objections, it is the only way they can get the government to listen to them.

If workers tread softly, the government generally ignores them. So, protests remain the most effective way of criticizing government policy.

If the government and the workers get their act together, and realize they depend upon one another, then the public need not fear mass gatherings.

--The Jakarta Post

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