Hardship pushes Indonesian revolt Hardship pushes Indonesian revolt Produced by United Methodist News Service, official news agency of the United Methodist Church, with offices in Nashville, Tenn., New York, and Washington. Service Wallia Keliat was far from Indonesia, attending the United Methodist Women's Assembly in Florida, when the political and economic protests spilled into the streets of Jakarta in mid-May. But she wasn't surprised that a revolt against economic hardship and escalating prices had finally occurred.
Farmers pay high prices for fertilizers and pesticides, but get low returns on their crops.
Because the crops are vegetables, rice must be purchased, at a price that has tripled since January. Women and children have been affected the most, according to Keliat. Lately, as part of her church-related work with women, Keliat has demonstrated how to reduce household expenses by such methods as prioritizing needs, using firewood instead of fuel and reducing the amount of oil used in cooking. And she encourages their faith. Anchored in the world's largest Muslim nation, the Methodist Church in Indonesia has grown considerably in the past 15 years.