Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Hundreds Rally in Jakarta to Demand Exxon Mobil’s Nationalization
Source: Antara News

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Hundreds of protesters comprising members of labor unions and the National University Students League for Democracy (LMND) held a rally calling for the nationalization of Exxon Mobil Company here Tuesday.

"We want foreign mining companies to be nationalized so that the Indonesian people can enjoy the benefits of their country’s natural resources," LMND Chairman Hilman Afriandi said here on Tuesday.

If foreign companies such as Exxon Mobil were nationalized, the government would have more financial resources to give the people free and quality education, he said.

In LMND`s view, foreign mining companies had been looting both the upstream and downstream mining sectors, he said. The looting had happened because the foreign companies had been given facilities through various regulations issued by the government, he said.

The students` organization also demanded the writing off of the country’s foreign debts in order to free Indonesia from dependence on foreign countries.

LMND, which was established in 1999 by 20 university student organizations, had earlier staged a similar rally in front of the energy and mineral resources ministry.