JAKARTA: People of a rubber factory got a jolt in late April when half a dozen people reportedly stormed their work in Indonesia’s Central Kalimantan state, ordered them to stop what they were doing and claimed power over the hospital, according to police reports.  ,
Inside the mill, the men apparently brandished a banner emblazoned with the terms:” Operation of this stock and inventory is being seized by GRIB Jaya Central Kalimantan” referring to the company, United Indonesian People’s Movement.  ,
The group also demanded that the factory hand over the 1.4 billion rupiah ( US$ 84, 572 ) it reportedly owed to its client, said a police statement on , May 2.
The foam stock is not the one believed to be affected by such needs.  ,
A few weeks before, business owners in various locations across the Greater Jakarta area took to social media claiming that they have received letters from another organisation: Pancasila Youth ( PP ) around the Muslim holiday Idul Fitri.
In one letter dated Apr 2, a West Jakarta chapter of PP, reportedly asked businesses in the area to:” Share some of your blessings and joy with us, so ( we may ) enjoy and celebrate Idul Fitri” . ,
Days earlier, another PP section in the Jakarta outskirts of Depok reportedly likewise distributed a comparable letter.
Some business users said they feel that they were being extorted.
Indonesia has around 550, 000 of these so-called political organisations– or “ormas” as they are known in Indonesia– which are registered by the Indonesian household affairs government. In some regions, these companies receive public funding and state grants.
While most are harmless, there are companies such as GRIB Jaya and PP which are notorious for having people arrested for and convicted of rape, bribery and other forms of violence.
These institutions have said that these people ‘ alleged criminal activities are never representative of the parties as a whole and they welcome the government taking action.  ,
The police said last Friday ( May 9 ) that they have resolved over 3, 300 cases of thuggery since launching a nationwide operation against rogue members of civic groups.  ,  ,
” This functioning is concrete evidence of our determination to eradicate lawlessness, which has been undermining the investment climate and compromising people safety”, federal police spokeswoman Sandi Nugroho was quoted as saying by , Tribunnews.
” We will not tolerate any intimidation, extortion or violence, whether carried out by individuals or groups under the guise of mass organisations”.
Shinta Kamdani, chairwoman of the Indonesian Employers Association said the business community is getting anxious about members of these groups.
” We have heard cases of companies being extorted for security money, holiday allowances and even transportation and catering contracts”, she told CNA.
When demands are not met, members of these groups reportedly disrupt industrial operations by staging protests or blocking access to factories or construction sites.
The Indonesian Industrial Estate Association estimated that the disruptions and instability caused by these groups is costing Indonesia tens of billions of dollars in lost investment.