JAKARTA, March 1 (UPI) -- Anti-government rallies erupted across Indonesia Tuesday to protest a sharp increase in domestic fuel prices.
The government announced Monday the increase of domestic fuel prices by an average of 29 percent, aimed at cutting off fuel subsidies. The move angered many poor Indonesians who depend on cheap fuel to earn a living and who fear the hike could trigger higher prices for basic commodities.
Fuel prices have long been a sensitive issue in Indonesia. A price hike in 1998 hastened the downfall of former President Suharto's dictatorship.
Hundreds of students hit the streets in major cities across the country, blocking roads and burning tires.
In Jakarta, several hundred students marched outside the presidential palace, shouting slogans and unfurling banners accusing President Sisilo Yudhoyono of failing to defend the poor, eyewitnesses said.
It was the biggest anti-government rally since Yudhoyono, Indonesia's first directly elected president, took office in October.
Authorities have placed security forces on alert, with protests expected to escalate.
Indonesia is Asia's only member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, but was a net crude oil importer in certain months in 2004 due to production problems.
