Sohirin, Semarang – Around 300 demonstrators from the Central Java People's Democratic Party (PRD) held a protest action today in which they called on the public to boycott tax payments as a protest against the Bank Century case that has inflicted financial losses on the state of Rp6.7 trillion.

PRD Central Java chairperson Sunu Pajar Prasetyo said that the funds from the Deposit Insurance Agency (LPS) that were used by the government to bailout Bank Century originated from ordinary people's taxes. The money however was embezzled on the grounds of rescuing the bank and to this day the government has been unable to account for it. "Because of this therefore, as a form of protest, the people don't need to pay tax," he said. "Why should [they] pay tax if it's only corrupted?"

The action, which took place in front of the Central Java DPRD, was also marked by the burning of posters in the form of Taxpayers Registration Numbers (NPWP).

Other protest actions in Semarang by thousands of people various different groups also demanded that the government immediately resolved the Bank Century case, eradicate corruption and reject the ACFTA free trade agreement with China.

[Abridged translation by James Balowski.]