Youth organizations of East Kalimantan warns against vandalism

Youth organizations in East Kalimantan warned the province's citizens, including citizens, not to resort to vandalism in voicing their aspiration.

Zainal Arifin, head of the province's Indonesian Youth National Committee (KNPI), and Said Amin, head of the province's Pancasila Youth, called on the public to voice their demands in a peaceful way.

They said they supported the tough measure recently taken by the police to break up the blockade by the Marangkayu villagers of the facilities owned by oil and gas company Unocal Indonesia Company and the tough action against students who vandalized several governmental offices in protesting the increase in fuel prices, Kaltim Post reported.

They warned that some parties intended to disrupt peace in the province and turn the region into a test place for unrest.

Meanwhile, Unocal gave a cool response to the report that Marangkayu's villagers planned to report the National Commission for Human Rights on the alleged inhumane treatment of the police towards them during the action to break up the blockage.

"We are not in a position to interfere with their plan," Unocal's external affairs supervision Samsulistyo said.

He said Unocal did not expect a clash between the police and the villagers.

"We always prioritize dialogs. The clash occurred because the officers thought the villagers had threatened the security and safety of the company," he said. (*)