Fuel protests intensify across Asia
SEOUL, South Korea: Thousands of South Korean truck drivers went on strike Friday to protest rising fuel prices, threatening to paralyze the country's ports and challenging the already unpopular government of President Lee Myung-bak.
Across Asia, sharp rises in fuel prices continued to stoke public anger. In Malaysia and Thailand, consumers and truckers demanding bigger fuel subsidies from their governments threatened to strike and Thai fishermen warned that they would burn their boats.
More than 5,000 truckers blocked entrances to ports and cargo terminals in South Korea, demanding that the government increase subsidies, authorize higher freight charges and introduce a minimum wage. The government warned that it would punish drivers if they attempted to block non-striking truckers from picking up cargo. The Transport Ministry confirmed on Friday that it would immediately revoke striking truckers' annual fuel subsidy payments of about 15 million won, or $14,500.
"The government intends to use whatever means to end this transportation crisis as soon as possible and minimize its impact on the national economy," said Prime Minister Han Seung-soo.
Tension escalated around major ports as police planned to escort non-striking drivers through the blockades.
"If the government arrests any of the striking truckers, our member unions will immediately launch nationwide strikes," said Lee Seok-haeng, head of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, which controls unions in auto, construction and other key industries. A two-week truckers' strike in 2003 cost exporters 540 billion won, or $519 million at Friday's exchange rates, Han said, citing figures from the Korea International Trade Association. Han predicted that the current strike will cause 128 billion won in export losses a day.
The government said it would use military vehicles and increase rail service to keep the country's factories running and ease the paralysis at the ports. But rail unions said on Friday that they would not cooperate.
With the country's traditional negotiating season starting, unions seized on President Lee's unpopularity to boost their leverage. Lee's administration has been shaken by weeks of anti-government protests against a decision in April to resume the import of American beef.
In Malaysia, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi faced rising public discontent as the opposition said it would draw 20,000 people to a march in Kuala Lumpur on Friday to protest fuel costs.
"The people are angry," said Safarizal Saleh, a leader of the youth wing of the Parti Islam Semalaysia, the main Islamist party and one of the organizers of the rally, Reuters reported.
Gasoline prices have in Malaysia have jumped by 41 percent and diesel 63 percent as crude oil costs have surged.
In Thailand, the Land Transport Federation of Thailand gave the government until Tuesday to subsidize fuel for truckers or face 100,000 vehicles rumbling into already traffic-clogged Bangkok.
Also protesting or planning to stage demonstrations in this still heavily agricultural nation were garlic, cabbage and rice farmers, along with fishermen, The Associated Press reported.
"The government is trying its best to reduce the immediate problem of the various groups of protesters," said Natawut Saikau, a government spokesman, according to the AP.
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