Thousands of tobacco farmers from various regions who incorporated in Kretek Rescue National Coalition (KNPK) demonstrated by surrounding the State Palace on Jl. Medan Merdeka Utara, Central Jakarta. In this action, they demanded the Act Draft (RUU) about Control of Tobacco Products Impact for Health and the Regulation Implementation Draft (RPP) of Security on Materials Containing Addictive Substance in form of Tobacco Products to be canceled.
Abhisam Demosa as Head of National Kretek said the rules were feared threatened the life of tobacco farmers and workers in Indonesia. “It could also threaten the hawkers and cigarettes seller agents,” he expressed, Wednesday (7/13).
Besides carried coffins, demonstrators also brought a property of big cigarette which burned and smoked alternately. Because of this demonstration, traffic flows in front of the State Palace severely congested. In fact, Jl. Veteran III was closed temporarily.
Hundreds of security officers stand by at the scene equipped with two units of water canon car and one unit of barracuda. To block demonstrators, officers installed barbed wires along 100 meters from the State Palace. This demonstration did not only cause congestion in front of the State Palace, but also on Jl. Veterean, Jl. Merdeka Barat towards HI Roundabout and vice versa, as well as around Harmoni area.