AMMAN, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- King Abdullah II of Jordan on Friday reaffirmed that violence against the state, vandalism of public property, and violation of Jordanians' rights will be dealt with firmly.
The king made the remarks as he extended condolences to the family of a police officer who was killed during riots in the southern governorate of Maan, according to a Royal Court statement.
Jordan's Public Security Department on Friday said a police officer was killed during clashes with demonstrators who demanded lower fuel prices.
The king expressed his deepest sympathies and condolences to the officer's family, describing him as the son of all Jordanians and adding, "we will not rest until the criminal is brought to justice."
The king said he acknowledged Jordanians' difficult economic conditions and their right to peaceful self-expression within the law, while highlighting that state institutions will take all measures to hold outlaws to account.
Tensions have been growing as truck owners, especially in the southern governorates, held partial strikes, calling on the government to reduce fuel prices.
Interior Minister Mazen Faraya said on Friday that the government has been handling the situation "wisely and with accountability" since the beginning of the protests, and has held a number of consultative meetings to discuss the demands of truck owners.
He said that those demands have been addressed, stressing that the strike resulted in a suspension of supplies in a number of vital facilities, a matter that the government will not allow to continue.
He added that lowering the prices will incur financial consequences that will be difficult to handle. ■
