Protests Against China Emerge in Other Cities
Monday, 13 July, 2009 | 15:52 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Beside prayers in Yogyakarta, students in other cities in indonesia stage protests on Monday, against the violence in the western autonomous region of Xinjiang in China on residents of Uyghur descent.

At the chinese consulate in Surabaya, East Java, around 70 students from an inter-campus Islamic preaching institution (FSLDK) protested against the violence on the predominantly moslems of Uyghur and Hui people in Xinjiang.

Representatives from the protesters were rejected by the consulate when they demanded to meet representatives from the consulate, on grounds that the consulate staff had not received approval from the chinese government to meet the protesters.

Head of the student's forum Dani Setiawan said “We denounce limitations of religious activities on our brothers from the Uyghur and Hui people. We actually demand to meet the consulate staff to clarify why have moslems there were pressured."

In Makassar, South Sulawesi, around 30 students demonstrated at Mandala Monument of West Irian Liberation on Jl Jenderal Sudirman, to show their solidarity to the Uyghur people.

The march began at Makassar Grand Mosque (Masjid Raya Makassar) at 9 am local time (8 am Jakarta Time) then moved to Mandala Monument during which students raised banner written with “condemn discrimination by Chinese government on moslems in Xinjiang” or “Cease arrest, torture, intimidation, and terror against chinese moslems”.

The Makassar branch of the students forum said the limitations and pressures on moslems in China come in forms of prohibiting islamic like dress like headscarf or turban, banning evening prayer during Ramadhan, banning moslems below 18 years old to pray in mosque or banning prayers at schools or workplaces, and prohibiting private Al Quran studies, or islamic organizations.

The forum in Surabaya and Makassar presented the same message to the Chinese government, urging the China to improve human rights condition, justice, and stop political, economy and social monopoly.

KUKUH S WIBOWO | IRMAWATI