People protest against foodstuff price hikes

A housewife in Kebayoran Lama, South Jakarta, complained of exorbitant prices as she bought a number of foodstuffs for daily needs.

The 44-year-old woman, identified as Sri, was among millions of Indonesian housewives who had the same fate due to the spiralling prices of foodstuffs.

The prices of almost all foodstuffs have gone up in recent months, sparking protests in many parts of the country.

In Purwokerto, Central Java, some 70 farmers, along with 30 students grouped in the Alliance of Banyumas Community Movement staged a rally outside the office of the Indonesian Broadcast Company (RRI) on Monday (March 17) urging the government to curb the stubbornly high prices of basic necessaries soon to reduce the people`s already heavy burden.

The protesters later marched to the Banyumas District Legislative Body (DPRD) building in Purwokerto for similar purposes.

One of the demonstrators, Rantes, said the increase in the prices of foodstuffs had gone up too far. As a farm worker who earned Rp10,000 a day (more than 1 US dollar), he could not afford to buy a number of foodstuffs, he said.