Jakarta – One of the hunger strikers who claim to have suffered health problems because of the ultra-high voltage electricity wires (Sutet) in their village was admitted to Cikini Hospital on Monday, his 18th day of fasting.

Kuswiyanto, 24, a resident of Langensari in Semarang, Central Java, is in critical condition. He was diagnosed with liver, kidney and bowel problems.

Kuswiyanto is one of 18 men and women from a number of villages on Java who sewed their lips together to protest the proximity of ultra-high voltage wires to their property. The protest took place on Jl. Diponegoro in Central Jakarta.

The spokesman of the Solidarity for Sutet Victims, Mustar Bona Ventura, said Kuswiyanto was found unconscious on his bed.

"We check their condition on the hour. The difficulty is, sometimes we cannot differentiate between a sleeping person and one who has fainted," he said.

Though the protest began two months ago, Mustar said the government had not offered any solutions.

The number of protesters is expected to swell as people from 146 villages that have ultra-high voltage power lines travel to Jakarta to voice their complaints.