Dental Technicians Carry Dentures In Demonstration Against Government Ban

By Ahmad Fuad Yahya JAKARTA (Indonesia), June 14 (Bernama) -- Indonesian dental technicians have threatened to occupy the Health Ministry office in Jakarta, if the government continues with the ban on them from doing actual destistry work. The ban would make almost all 75,000 dental technicians nationwide to lose their jobs as they have no other work to do, Indonesian Dental Technician Association (ITGI) secretary general Faisol Abrori was qouted as saying by the English daily, Jakarta Globe, Thursday. The ban, issued by the Indonesian Health Ministry last year stipulated that dental and orthodontic services may only be provided by certified dentists and not by dental technicians who are only licensed to make dentures. On Wednesday, about 400 ITGI members carrying banners and false teeth, demonstrated in front of the National Monument (Monas) park and submitted a formal complaint to the National Commission on Human Rights, saying that the enacted ban violated their constitutional rights. "We object to the enactment. It violates Article 28(a) of the 1945 Constitution, on our right to live and to have a livelihood," Faisol said. -- BERNAMA