They say you need a thick hide for public office but Indonesia's President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, has said he was hurt when his photo was affixed to a buffalo's bottom at a recent rally.
A highly politicised parliamentary inquiry into the 2008 bailout of a small bank has sparked several small and mostly peaceful protests in Indonesia. One protest featured a buffalo with anti-government graffiti and a picture of the president stuck to its behind. Yudhoyono, who is often referred to as SBY after his initials, was quoted in the English language newspaper Jakarta Post on Wednesday saying the buffalo stunt was offensive. "Then there was a group of protesters leading a buffalo. They said 'SBY is lazy, big and stupid, like a buffalo.' Was that really a demonstration? " the president was quoted as saying by the Jakarta Post, adding that he would discuss protest etiquette with several district governors and ministers. "We will discuss how people can conduct peaceful protests and respect others," he said.
Youth minister and former presidential spokesman Andi Mallarangeng said yesterday that protesters should show the president more respect. "If you want to talk about policy then we can disagree but we can always respect each other," he said. The Jakarta Post reported yesterday that police would not allow protesters to bring livestock to rallies in future but Mallarangeng said buffaloes would not be banned. But State Secretary Sudi Silalahi said a long-standing ban on the beasts at protests would be enforced. "There's a law that's been violated... which states clearly that protesters should not bring animals, buffaloes," he said. "Firstly, that's a violation of the law, and secondly, which is more critical, when buffaloes are angry they'll kick and gore ..... http://www.redgage.com/?refby=advokatku
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