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Muslim Protesters March Against Indonesia's New Labor Law

Associated Press

   JAKARTA, INDONESIA - Thousands of conservative Muslims marched in
   Indonesia's capital on Tuesday demanding that the government revoke a
   new law they say will cripple labor rights, with some clashing with
   police.

   Authorities blocked streets leading to the Presidential Palace in
   Jakarta, where clashes between riot police and rock-throwing
   demonstrators, including workers and students, broke out last Thursday.

   The protests spread and turned violent in some cities across the
   world's most populous Muslim nation, but calm had largely returned to
   Jakarta over the past four days.

   On Tuesday, the normally clogged streets of Jakarta were nearly empty
   of cars, embassies were closed and many businesses were shuttered for
   the day after several Muslim groups announced they would stage
   protests.

   Waving black flags bearing the Islamic declaration of faith, several
   thousand demonstrators, many wearing white Islamic robes, filled a
   major thoroughfare.

   The Job Creation Law approved by Parliament last week is expected to
   substantially change Indonesia's labor system and natural resources
   management. It amended 79 previous laws and is intended to improve
   bureaucratic efficiency as part of efforts by President Joko Widodo's
   administration to attract more investment to the country.

   The demonstrators say the law will hurt workers by reducing severance
   pay, removing restrictions on manual labor by foreign workers,
   increasing the use of outsourcing, and converting monthly salaries to
   hourly wages.

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