Thousands of protesters picket Riau police office

On Monday, they staged a similar rally outside the Riau Provincial Legislative Assembly (DPRD) building and spent the night there before continuing their protest around the Riau Police office.

At 11 on Tuesday morning they left the DPRD building and made their way by some 20 trucks to the Riau Police office on Sudirman street.

Rally coordinator Riza Zuhelmy in his oration said the government should immediately do something about illegal logging suspects in the province.

He also called on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to give his permission for local law enforcing agencies to investigate a number of Riau provincial administration officials for their alleged involvement in illegal logging activity.

Meanwhile, in Bengkulu on Monday, dozens of students claiming to be members of the Ordinary People`s Defenders` Front (FPRK) staged a rally outside the Bengkulu Provincial Legislative Assembly (DPRD) building to protest against the government`s plan to raise fuel prices.

The rally`s coordinator, Melyan Sori, said the plan to raise fuel prices was not a proper step to offset a deficit in the state budget.

"The government still has many other ways to cover the state budget deficit. Raising fuel oil prices is absolutely not the proper way," he said in his oration.

The plan to raise fuel prices, if realized, would increase the prices of various basic necessaries at the expense of the people`s living standards and therefore, the government needed to review it, he said.

In its written statement, ...