Cigarettes in Indonesia, the world's fifth
largest cigarette market, are among the cheapest in the world with a pack
costing around $1.
Four Indonesian NGOs filed a lawsuit against
the president and parliament on Thursday for not signing a global tobacco
treaty, saying the high level of tobacco use was forcing millions into poverty.
The Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) along with three
other NGOs slammed the government for not taking stronger measures to increase
cigarette prices while prices of basic needs such as food have risen after fuel
prices were hiked nearly 30 percent in May.
Cigarettes in Indonesia, the world's fifth largest cigarette
market, are among the cheapest in the world with a pack costing around $1.
Although smoking has taken a toll on the health of Indonesians
and pushed millions further into poverty, Indonesia is reluctant to sign the
Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) aimed at cutting cigarette
consumption because of concerns about the developing country's economy.
The World Health Organization's FCTC aims to reduce tobacco
consumption, including through a ban on advertising and promotion.
China, which is the world's largest cigarette producer, is
among the 168 signatories to the treaty.
Indonesia's $8-billion tobacco industry is big business which
provides jobs for 7 million people and contributes about 10 percent to the
government's coffers.
"We demand the Indonesian president ratify FCTC because
it can protect people from the bad impact of tobacco," Tulus Abadi, an
anti-tobacco activist at YLKI, told reporters after the case was filed against
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in a Jakarta court.
"The majority of smokers are poor people who allocate
more money for cigarettes than for education and food."
Most Indonesians smoke traditional clove cigarettes which were
invented in the late 19th century to ward off illnesses.
Called "kretek" for the crackling sound they make
when they burn, the cigarettes usually contain added flavours such as chocolate
and dried fruits. Some taste sweet, others spicy, but they are all distinctly
Indonesian.
Some big cities in Indonesia, including Jakarta, have banned
smoking in public areas, but these local regulations are still not implemented,
Tubagus Haryo Karbyanto, an activist of the Jakarta citizens forum, told
reporters.