Jakarta – City Police arrested on Monday three activists of the umbrella student group City Forum (Forkot) for allegedly provoking public transportation drivers to go on strike following the fuel price hike. The three students are Mixil, Arif Wardoyo and Miftahudin.

They allegedly provoked and threatened public transportation drivers in Ciputat, South Jakarta, to stop their operations, a move that caused thousands of commuters to be stranded during a heavy downpour in the area on Saturday.

Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Sofjan Jacoeb said they would be charged with violating Articles 160, 170 and 212 of the Criminal Code for persuading or forcing people to commit unlawful acts, to commit violent acts against the public interest and using violence/coercion towards on-duty civil servants, offenses that carry maximum sentences of between 16 months to seven years imprisonment.

The general also said that the police had coordinated with the state-owned Damri bus company in dealing with the lack of public transportation services.

Three alleged provocateurs were also arrested in East Jakarta's Klender area on Monday, as they were caught red-handed forcing the public minivan drivers to stop their operations.

It was also reported from Bandung, the capital of West Java, that a total of five activists from the Democratic People's Party (PRD) had been arrested for allegedly masterminding the mass public transportation strike in Bandung. Two of them, Anton and Wanti, were arrested in the Cicadas area on Sunday, while threeothers, Didin, Asep and Doni, were netted at the Kebun Kelapa bus terminal, also on Sunday. Two more PRD activists were reportedly arrested on Monday, police said. Their identities, however, have not yet been revealed.