INDONESIAN STUDENTS RALLY AGAINST CHANGES TO CORRUPTION LAW

JAKARTA: Police fired tear gas and water cannons Tuesday to disperse thousands of rock-throwing students protesting a new law that they said has crippled Indonesia's anti-corruption agency.

The university students are enraged that Indonesia's Parliament passed the law last week that reduces the authority of the Corruption Eradication Commission, a key body in fighting endemic graft in the country. They demonstrated in front of the Parliament building in the capital, Jakarta, and in large cities all over the country.

The demonstrators, who have been protesting for days, are demanding that President Joko Widodo issue a government regulation replacing the new law on the corruption commission, known by its Indonesian abbreviation, KPK.

Several thousand students demonstrated Tuesday in front of the parliament building in Jakarta, while similar rallies were held in Bandung, Yogyakarta, Malang, Palembang and Makassar.

The protesters also urged Parliament to delay votes on several bills on a new criminal code and on mining, land and labor. Opponents say the proposed criminal code threatens democracy and discriminates against minorities.

Widodo met Tuesday with lawmakers, whose terms finish at the end of this month, to urge them to delay votes on the bills after considering public concerns. Lawmakers then delayed their votes on the proposed laws in their last plenary session.

Critics say the criminal code bill contains articles violating the rights of women, religious minorities, lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgender people, as well as freedoms of speech and association.

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