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ASIET Net News 18 – April 28-May 4, 1997
Eye witness report - 28 April. 1997
This Monday, 28 April is the day of the verdict for eleven PRD
activists. Although they have already stated that they do not
acknowledge this show trial, Budiman, Garda Sembiring, Iwan,
Pranowo, and Suroso arrived at the Jakarta Central Court on Jalan
Gajah Mada. They arrived at 9.56am. Approaching the court
building, they shouted "Viva Democracy", "Boycott the Elections"
and so on. On arriving at the court building they we put into the
holding cells. There they gave a short political speech,
intervened with "democratic" songs including the song We Shall
Overcome. During the time they were in the separate room visitors
and journalists were not allowed near. Security in the court
house was felt super-tight, there were police from Polres and
Polda, while in the street marines joined were ready. This tight
security included checking the visitors ID cards.
The trial only just began at 11am, when the judges and prosecutor
entered the court room. The PRD activists were still chanting
slogans of struggle as they were separately escorted into the
court room. They wore black head bands with the writing
"Democracy is Dead", and Garda Sembiring work a shirt reading
"Boycott the 97 Elections". Initially, they were invited to
express their views, and briefly they rejected the trial system.
The judges, who apparently already new that they would leave the
court, invited them to leave the court. They let, and the judge
continued the trial process, only in the presence of the pubic
prosecutor and "watchers" who's origins were not clear. It needs
to be known, that the defence lawyers did not appear in the court
room because their legal authority [to represent their clients]
had been withdrawn [by the defendants].
When the activists left the court room, their parents were
already waiting near the door, holding flowers. Their parents
gave a flow to each of their children while weeping, giving moral
support to their children. During this incident the visitors and
journalists were not free to witness it because the activist were
tightly guarded and taken back to the holding cells in the court
building. Because of the tight guard their families and friends
who wanted to express their sympathy had to "play the game" of
push and shove with the security personnel. One of the visitors
feet were stepped on and as a result their toe were bleeding.
On reaching the holding cells, the activist again chanted slogans
of struggle and gave short speeches. From the second floor they
could see out, to Jalan Gajah Mada. They unfurled as small PRD
flag and displayed the flowers they got from their parents. At
that time around 40 PRD "sympathisers" had gathered outside the
court fence. On hearing Budiman's "speech", they shouted chants
and also gave speeches. Wearing black head bands with the writing
"Democracy is Dead", carried cardboard posters with the slogans
such as "Free Budiman and the others", "Boycott the 97
Elections", "Democracy is Dead" and "We Fight for Democracy".
They were able to demonstrate for more then 30 minutes, but then
the commander of the security personnel, together with his
colleagues, asked them to break up the rally. After a short
debate, the security personnel forced them to leave the area. The
demonstrators retreated to Jalan Gajah Mada heading in the
direction of the city. It is not clear what happened, suddenly an
eye witness saw that three people had been carried away by
security personnel, being beaten and kicked repeatedly, then put
into a vehicle and taken away. They were security personnel
wearing civilian clothing, but admitted to being police. The
reporters hurriedly "immortalized" the incident, but to foreign
journalists were hit by security personnel, as a result one of
their cameras was dropped. One of them who was hit was bleeding
slightly. The person who had done the beating shouted "Are you
brave enough to fight the police?" (Another eye witness said that
it was not three but five people who were taken by security
personnel).
The demonstrators left, but security personnel continued to be on
the alert at the intersection of Jalan Gajah Mada and Jalan
Zainul Arifin. There the marines were at the ready. Meanwhile the
activists, waited for by their families, repeatedly chanted
slogans of struggle. An activist who had only just been released
from jail because they were accused of being involved in the July
27 riots, repeatedly yelled the slogans. The atmosphere became
rather "hot", most of all when the activists who were arrested
and their parents who were Muslims were not able to do their
afternoon prayers. A number of people protested to the security
personnel who had "gone too far".
Meanwhile, the trial continue. The judge read out the entire
"document" as the basis of his verdict. After some time, the
judges in Garda's trial sentenced Garda to 12 years in jail.
Around one hour later, the court trying Iwan, Pranowo and Suroso
handed down a verdict of nine years for Pranowo, eight years for
Iwan and seven years for Suroso. Budiman's sentence was handed
down last, after the judges had read the "document" of hundreds
of pages which took around three hours. Budiman was sentenced to
13 years.
Responding to the sentence, they stated that the verdict did not
have much meaning for them who clearly rejected the court system.
Only, so that the Indonesian people who they defended could
continue to follow this "show trial", they would state an appeal.
The parents accompanying them without being beaten, and are ready
to accept that "risk".
Around 2.45 the activists were brought down to return to the
Salemba Jail. As they approached the vehicle, Budiman suddenly
leapt on the roof of the vehicle and gave a short speech, the
essence of which was that they would continue to struggle to
uphold democracy in this country. The other activists joined in
the chants which included "Viva Megawati" and "Boycott the
Elections". One of the security personnel grabbed Garda
Sembiring's hair, forcing him into the vehicle. The visitors
which witnessed this yelled in protests.
Not long afterwards, when the activists had been taken away, in
the parking lot Budiman and Garda's mothers were interviewed by a
journalist, but a security officer "dragged them away" to get
into the car and forbid them from being interviewed. Budiman's
mothers back bumped into a car. Seeing this, Garda and Iwan's
mothers along with several other women shouted protesting the
security office. The visitors saw them, but those protesting were
quickly escorted away fro the court house. This incident caused a
traffic jam for a short time.
(At the South Jakarta trial, according to reports, those trying
Petrus Haryanto, Ken Budha Kusumandaru, Victor da Costa and Putut
Arintoko went ahead relatively quietly. The final sentences
handed down: Petrus was "rewarded" with six years, Ken four
years, Victor and Putut one-and-a-half years. The prosecutor
immediately appealed for heavier sentences.)
[Unabridged translation by James Balowski]
Amnesty International - April 28, 1997
As Indonesia begins its "Festival of Democracy" – the 1997
parliamentary election campaign – Amnesty International is
calling for the immediate release of a group of student activists
sentenced today to lengthy prison terms in Jakarta for their
entirely peaceful pro-democracy activities.
"At a time when Indonesia is professing the right of Indonesians
to participate in the country's political system, nine young
people are being sent to join many others detained in prison for
their peaceful political activities," Amnesty International said
today, strongly condemning the trials and verdicts.
"The severity of these sentences demonstrates the lengths to
which the authorities are willing to go to remove political
opponents. They are designed as a reminder to other young
activists not to engage in political activity outside the limits
prescribed by the government."
The sentences of up to 13 years were handed down today by the
South Jakarta and Central Jakarta District Court against nine
activists from the People's Democratic Party (Partai Rakyat
Demokratik, PRD) and its affiliated organizations.
A peaceful demonstration protesting against the sentences outside
the Central Jakarta District Court was violently broken up by
riot police, and five demonstrators were arrested and taken to an
unknown destination.
All nine defendants were tried under Indonesia's most repressive
piece of political legislation, the Anti-subversion Law, under
which hundreds of people whose words or actions were considered
to be disruptive of public order, critical of Indonesia's state
philosophy or the government, have been incarcerated in
Indonesia's prisons or even put to death.
The nine defendants were arrested in August 1996 during a round-
up of political dissidents following riots in Jakarta in July
1996, which were blamed on the PRD.
"In reality the trials had nothing to do with the riots," Amnesty
International said. "The evidence against the young activists
related solely to their peaceful participation in labour
demonstrations or calls for political change."
Like other political trials in the country, the trials of the
nine were characterised by unfairness, with the defence being
unable to cross examine witnesses and evidence of torture and
ill-treatment of the defendants being ignored by the courts. In
disgust at the court proceedings, the nine activists announced a
boycott of their trials on 21 April.
Background
The nine members of the PRD sentenced today are:
Last week, in two separate trials conducted in the Surabaya
District Court, three other activists associated with the PRD
were sentenced to prison terms after being found guilty of
subversion. Female labour activist Dita Indah Sari, 24, leader of
the Indonesian Centre for Labour Struggle (Pusat Perjuangan Buruh
Indonesia, PPBI) received a six year prison sentence, while Coen
Hussein Pontoh, 27, from the National Peasants' Union (Serikat
Tani Nasional, STN) and Mochamad Sholeh, 21, from SMID, were each
sentenced to four years' imprisonment.
Two other PRD activists, Wilson B Nurtiyas and I Gusti Anom
Astika, are still being tried for subversion, as is independent
labour leader Muchtar Pakpahan. His trial has been postponed
while he is in hospital.
May 29 elections
East Timor
Labour issues
Democratic struggle
The Jalan Gajah Mada Incident
Prisoners of conscience should be immediately released
Sentences of up to 13 years handed down
Globe and Mail - April 29, 1997
John Stackhouse, Jakarta – On the second day of a national election campaign, an Indonesian court sentenced five young pro- democracy activists yesterday to jail terms of up to 13 years for speaking out against the government.
The youths, all leftists charged with subversion, received the sentences in the central Jakarta state court while riot police clashed with demonstrators outside. The leader of the People's Democratic Party denounced his case as a show trial and walked out of the courtroom to a holding cell before the sentences of seven to 13 years could be delivered.
"We refuse to remain in this court to hear the verdict," shouted Budiman Sudjatmiko, 27, leader of the small party, which is not recognized by the government. Mr. Sudjatmiko and his co- defendants refused to co-operate with the court, did not enter pleas and recently dismissed their lawyers. "We reject the verdicts, as the court does not have the legitimacy to sentence us," said Mr. Sudjatmiko, who was sentenced to 13 years in jail, less the time he has already spent in custody.
The accused had faced a maximum penalty of death for subversion.
Outside the court, where about 50 sympathizers for the defendants sang "We Shall Overcome," riot police charged the crowd with sticks and tear gas. At least five people were detained by police after the clashes.
"The government through the courts wants to show, if you make a problem, if you challenge the government, you will have big problems," said Bambang Widjojanto, president of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation.
Mr. Widjojanto said the verdict did not match the alleged crime, comparing the 13- year sentence to a two-year sentence for subversion given by the Dutch colonial government to Sukarno, who later became Indonesia's first president. "You have to ask, 'Were conditions better under the Dutch or under the Indonesian government?'" Mr. Widjojanto said.
Government prosecutors said the People's Democratic Party, which says it has about 300 members, instigated riots in Jakarta last July after a police assault on another opposition party's headquarters. The riots swept through central Jakarta and caused millions of dollars in damage.
The government immediately blamed the riots on an underground communist movement and later arrested Mr. Sudjatmiko and 14 other members of his party. Communism is banned in Indonesia.
During the trial, however, the nature of the charges shifted markedly. Prosecutors, who called for 15-year sentences, stopped mentioning the riots and instead accused the youths of stirring hate toward the state, which also is a crime in Indonesia, and of defaming President Suharto.
Mr. Sudjatmiko had called for a boycott of the current election and shown support for the ousted opposition leader Megawati Sukarnoputri, Sukarno's daughter, who is not allowed to contest the election.
Another three of his party's activists were sentenced last Wednesday to four to six years in jail on subversion charges. A court in the eastern Javanese city of Surabaya held the three, aged 25 to 30, responsible for organizing an industrial strike last July by more than 10,000 workers.
One of the defendants wore a headband carrying the words, "Democracy or Death".
The timing of the trials coincides with Indonesia's carefully co-ordinated parliamentary election, which is held every five years and labelled "a festival of democracy." The government allows only the ruling Golkar party and two opposition parties to participate, and restricts their campaign activities.
Outside the Jakarta court, much of the city centre was decorated with yellow Golkar flags, punctuated only occasionally by the opposition's red and green flags. The city's main boulevard is decorated with bouquets of yellow, red and green lights.
The People's Democratic Party has called for a more open democratic system, and prodded the government to recognize basic worker rights, which many officials fear will drive away investment.
Media Indonesia - 30 April, 1997
Jakarta – The trial of the case of insulting the president involving Aberson Marle Sihaloho, was coloured by a walk out by the accused and his lawyer Luhut MP Pangaribuan.
In the South Central Jakarta court yesterday, the court showed a video recording of an Aberson speech at the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) Headquarters in Central Jakarta on July 13, 1996.
In the previous hearing Pangaribuan had already threatened they would walk out if the next session continued to show the video recording. The reason, material evidence of a video cassette is illegal, because at the time it was taken permission was not asked of those who were being taped.
One of the panel of judges, judge Sjoffinan Soemantri disagreed and was of the opinion that taking the pictures was legal, just as it is normal for a reporter to take pictures in court and doesn't need permission.
In a number of earlier hearings, Aberson has stated that what was said by him in the speech was not the same as the accused by the prosecutor YW Mere, but perhaps it did resemble it. The position of the accused and the defence lawyer, obviously had not changed in yesterdays hearing. Because of this, when the video was shown yesterday, they decided to leave the court room after several minutes. "Allow us to leave the court room while the video is being shown, because we do not want to out thinking contaminated by a video tape which is illegal and after that we will return to the court room", said Luhut. Judge Soebardi gave them permission to leave.
In the beginning, the video showing as material evidence, was attended by scores of visitors. But in the end the showing was deserted by the visitors one by one.
The video recording which was shown for more than one hour showed Aberson giving a speech on the issue of the state budget at the pro-Megawati PDI free speech forum witnessed by scores of Megawati supporters.
[Slightly abridged translation from Media Indonesia - James Balowski]
Republika - April 28, 1997
Bandung – Pajajaran University students held a rally in Bandung on 26 April on the first anniversary of the Ujungpandang tragedy. The rally was marred, however, by a scuffle, and a student was arrested. Prior to the event, university authorities were checking student identification cards before the students were allowed on campus. A worker at the university entrance said only economics and law school students were allowed on the campus. Students of the other schools–particularly mass communications–had to submit their cards to the authorities before they were allowed in.
A group of students were stranded outside at the gate of the university's southern parking lot, including those who wanted to participate in the rally. After five hours of checking, the students finally staged the rally at the university's southern entrance at 1100 West Indonesian Standard Time.
Several students were seen walking toward the middle of the road, so plastic ropes were tied along the roadside to prevent a crowd from walking in the middle of the road.
Barely five minutes after the rally began, scores of uniformed security personnel suddenly appeared and chased the demonstrators. People were shocked by the immediate appearance of the anti-riot police personnel and scurried for safety. In fact, the officials who were checking identification cards were kicked by students who scrambled to get onto the campus. As the gate was not opened wide, some students scaled the campus wall to enter the campus, while others outside clashed with security personnel from the Quick Reaction Unit of the Central Bandung Police. The students who managed to force themselves onto the campus began to hurl stones at the police. A demonstrator, M. Halim, age 21, was detained during the clash. Halim is a law school student from the 1995 class. A student, Juandi Rewang, said he and his friends had already heard rumors that security personnel were looking for Halim. "Perhaps this is a good opportunity for security personnel to arrest him," he said.
No students and security personnel were injured during the clash. "Well, they only struck and caned us. We were only slightly hurt," said Eci, age 22, another student who participated in the rally. [passage omitted on efforts to secure Halim's release - Tapol]
Sydney Morning Herald - April 29, 1997
Louise Williams, Jakarta – The Soeharto Government has announced that it will appeal against a 13-year sentence for subversion handed down yesterday on the leader of an anti-government group, demanding a harsher penalty for the activist it blames for last year's political riots in Jakarta.
Scores of anti-government protesters clashed with riot police outside a Jakarta court yesterday as the judge sentenced Budiman Sujatmiko, the 27-year-old leader of the underground People's Democratic Party (PRD), and signalled that further charges of insulting the court would be heard soon.
About 30 angry youths faced police outside the Jakarta District Court where the former student and four of his fellow activists were convicted of subversion, a charge which carries the maximum penalty of death, over activities linked to last year's riots. The prosecutor immediately appealed against the sentence, saying the Government was seeking a minimum term of 15 years. The judge found Budiman guilty of insulting President Soeharto, inciting hatred against the Indonesian State and plotting to overthrow the Government. Eyewitnesses said at least five youths were arrested and several injured when riot police dispersed the protesters after they unfurled a banner reading: "Budiman is the future leader."
Budiman appeared briefly in court and announced that he rejected the judgment of the Indonesian court system, which he said was rigged in the Government's favour. He was removed before the sentence against him was read. His four fellow activists were sentenced to between eight and 12 years in prison.
Earlier this month, Budiman and the four other members of the PRD dismissed their defence lawyers and announced that they were abandoning their defence because the court case was a sham.
Before being led from the court on that occasion they shouted for their followers to boycott next month's national elections, a call repeated by protesters yesterday.
Human rights activists have condemned the use of the subversion charge against political opponents of the Soeharto regime, arguing that the charge was originally intended to protect the Indonesian State against armed insurrection, not civilian political opposition.
The Government claimed in court that the PRD was a communist- style organisation which was plotting to overthrow the Soeharto administration.
The case linked the PRD to last year's riots because of anti- government speeches made by its members at a sit-in in support of the Partai Demokrasi Indonesia leader, Ms Megawati Sukarnoputri. Two days of rioting broke out after troops raided the sit-in.
Kompas - April 29, 1997
Jakarta – Nine of the People's Democratic Party (PRD) were sentenced earlier today (28/4) to prison sentences of up to 13 years. The accused refused to attend the reading of the court's verdict after declaring that they had lost their trust in the Indonesian justice system.
Garda Sembiring, Jakobus Eko Kurniawan, Ignatius Damianus Pranowo and Suroso stormed out of the courthouse after saying that they would no longer participate in what they considered a farce. The judges said that they had nothing against the decision by the accused to leave the premisses. Outside the court, dozens of students and youth staged a demonstration in support of the jailed PRD activists. The protesters marched down Gadjah Mada street and gathered in front of a large mall. They were quickly dispersed by security forces who arrested five people for inciting the demonstrations.
Undermine Pancasila
Three of the judges who passed today's sentences said that there was irrefutable evidence of the activists' involvement in subversive behaviour. The five accused had pointedly sought to undermine the authorities of the land, especially the teachings of the Pancasila and the authority of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) and the constitution (UU). Furthermore, they had distorted the record of the government under the New Order. Such behaviour, said the judges, not only seeks to discredit the achievements of the New Order but also tries to destabilise the economic and social stability of the nation.
According to Dr. Afan Gaffar, expert witness for the prosecution, the actions undertaken by the accused and the PRD in general are not representative of the masses. Even the working classes were used as mere tools for the PRD's ulterior motives.
"Allegations by the PRD that the New Order government killed as many as 1,5 million people during 1965 are not supported by evidence. Furthermore, the PRD's hostility towards the New Order went beyond all reason when they gave special 'PRD Awards' to individuals who were known for their opposition to the government," said the chairman of the judges' panel which sentenced Budiman Sudjatmiko.
As to the accusation by the PRD activists that there was no democracy in Indonesia, it is absolutely untrue. Democracy in Indonesia is not yet as it is hoped it would be, but the New Order government is very attentive to the criticisms from society.
Concerning the walk outs staged by the accused during the trial, the judges said that such behaviour had only made things more difficult and showed that the PRD activists did not want to acknowledge their responsibility for what they had done. However, the judges took in consideration the fact that the accused were young and had no criminal record. The five accused now have to pay for court expenses. Budiman Sudjatmiko and Garda Sembiring will be charged 7,500 rupiahs (1USD = 2,400 rps) whereas the three others will be charged 5,000 rps.
PRD speech under scrutiny
The chairman of the judges' panel asked the state prosecutor to question Budiman further. This request comes in connection with the speech made last Monday (21/4) by the accused on occasion of the court's consent to allow them make a plea to the court. "The political speech made by the accused had nothing to do with the trial's evidence and contradicted the criminal code. A trial is not the venue for such a speech. In addition, the speech was made in contempt of court. As a result, the judges' panel has requested the prosecutor to question Budiman in another trial," said the chairman of the judges' panel.
The prosecutor is awaiting for an original copy of the speech and will examine it before deciding to formally charge Budiman for attempting to discredit the New Order and President Soeharto.
South China Morning Post - April 29, 1997
Jenny Grant, Jakarta – Riot police violently broke up a protest outside a courtroom in the capital yesterday where pro-democracy activists were sentenced to jail terms of up to 13 years.
About 30 demonstrators in front of the tightly guarded District Court building were cheering for the five activists as they waited for judges to read the verdicts. They waved banners calling for freedom and democracy.
Budiman Sujatmiko, the head of the outlawed People's Democracy Party, made victory signs at the group from his cell inside the building.
He threw flowers at supporters and shouted: "Boycott the elections!"
Forty riot police armed with semi-automatic weapons, tear-gas and riot shields then moved in to disperse the protest. They pushed the demonstrators aside while police officers in plain clothes beat them and tore down the banners.
One officer stomped on the head of a protester who had been pushed to the ground. A number of journalists were also hit by security officers.
Three activists were beaten and arrested in the clash by security officers, who shoved them into police cars and drove them away.
The Legal Aid Institute identified the arrested as activists Anom, Taufan and Aris. Jakarta police headquarters denied they were holding the three. Sources said they were being detained by military authorities.
Judges handed down harsh sentences on the activists, who were accused under the subversion law of masterminding riots in Jakarta in July. The Government has branded the group as communists.
Sujatmiko, who handed flowers to the judges before they read out their verdict on him, received the toughest sentence of 13 years.
The popular activist earlier branded his trial a sham and kissed his mother, who broke down in tears. A crush of about 200 police, journalists and activists packed the courtroom.
Garda Sembiring received a 12-month sentence, Yakobus Eko Kurniawan eight years, Ignatius Damianus Pranowo nine years, and Suroso seven years.
Sentences of between 18 months and six years were handed down to four other activists at the South Jakarta Court.
Sujatmiko and his left-wing group have urged Indonesians to boycott the May 29 polls, reject the military's role in politics and support ousted opposition leader Megawati Sukarnoputri.
"With this decision the Government wants to show that if anyone rejects the elections they will have a big problem," said Bambang Widjayanto, the head of the Legal Aid Institute, who appeared as a witness during the trial.
Diplomats and foreign observers slammed the verdicts.
One European diplomat who witnessed the trial said: "It is a controversial verdict in light of the fact that parts of the elite like the National Commission on Human Rights have suggested the subversion law should be abolished."
Pakpahan's poor health continues to delay trial
Jakarta Post - April 22, 1997(Abridged from Tapol)
The subversion trial of Mochtar Pakpahan for allegedly making anti-government statements continues to be delayed because of his poor health.
Pakpahan yesterday underwent the first of 12 physiotherapy sessions to treat his paralysed right hand. His wife Rosintan said Pakpahan's appendix surgery on 3 April had not cured his abdominal complaint and he needed further treatment.
'His condition is getting worse,' she said from the Cikini hospital where Pakpahan is being treated.
Pakpahan was admitted to hospital on 7 March. Doctors believed he was suffering from a 'light stroke'.
Doctors later said he had lung cancer but a biopsy did not reveal this. After further examination, doctors revealed he had tuberculosis.
Rosintan said Pakpahan was unable to take the TB medicine. 'After he drank the medicine, he vomited and his body trembled,' she said.
When Pakpahan last appeared in court, on 3 March, he yelled at the presiding judge and accused him of ignoring his poor health. The judge claimed Pakpahan was trying toi attract press attention by bringing his health problems to court.
| May 29 elections |
Straits Times - May 2, 1997
By Susan Sim, Jakarta – The Muslim-oriented United Development Party (PPP) begins its second round of campaigning in Java today amid heightened tensions, a result of sporadic clashes between its supporters and those of the ruling Golkar party late on Wednesday which marred the fourth day of the hustings.
A top security official told The Straits Times yesterday tension was "rising step-by- step" as the authorities prepared for two big rallies by the PPP in Jakarta and Pekalongan today.
Pekalongan, scene of several riots and inter-party clashes since March, was again rocked by fresh violence on Wednesday as PPP supporters fought with Golkar rivals, leaving at least 18 people injured.
Reports said that the clash broke out after PPP supporters discovered Golkar supporters removing PPP flags on the side of a road. A government office and five other buildings were damaged in the ensuing melee. The city was yesterday described as tense with most shops closed as troops maintained vigil.
Meanwhile, the PPP chapter in Yogyakarta yesterday issued a statement announcing its decision to "stop completely all forms of campaign activities" in the special autonomous region after one of its offices was pelted with stones and attacked by Golkar supporters late on Wednesday.
It also decided to remove all the party's flags, posters and campaign material, leaving Yogyakarta city with "pockets of Golkar yellow only", an observer said.
Jakarta was yesterday also relatively quiet after two days of traffic jams caused by illegal parades staged by Golkar and PPP supporters. With street rallies banned to prevent clashes between rival supporters, a military spokesman on Wednesday appealed to party leaders to "persuade their supporters to stop travelling in convoys during this campaign". Golkar had earlier complained to the election supervision committee that the PPP had broken the rules by staging a huge street rally in Jakarta on Tuesday.
The Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), whose turn it was to campaign in the capital and Java under strict campaign rules, was hardly visible yesterday.
The party had earlier decided to stop campaigning in Surabaya, Indonesia's second largest city, after 5,000 supporters of ousted leader Megawati Soekarnoputri disrupted a rally there on Monday.
On Wednesday, five of its supporters in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, were injured after they were attacked by an unidentified group of men, reports said. Fearing violence, it also decided not to hold rallies in South Sulawesi.
Meanwhile, T-shirts bearing a picture of Ms Megawati with slogans in Indonesian and the local Javanese dialect calling on people to boycott the elections, were "selling like hot cakes" in the Central Java towns of Semarang and Salatiga, The Jakarta Post reported yesterday.
The former PDI leader, barred from contesting the polls, had asked her supporters to boycott the 27 days of campaigning but stopped short of telling them what to do with their ballot.
Jakarta Post - 26 April, 1997
Jakarta - Eight groups within Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Indonesia's largest Moslem organization, yesterday endorsed boycotting the election as a form of political participation.
Almost immediately afterward NU chairman Abdurrahman Wahid lashed out at the groups, saying they had overstepped their boundary and used the organization's name arbitrarily.
"This is impudent of them. They are overstepping the boundary. The executive board of NU knew nothing of their message," said Abdurrahman, who is better known as Gus Dur. "Besides, the board will never issue any 'moral message' about the general election," he told reporters.
Abdurrahman spoke to the press at his office on the first floor of the NU building, only minutes after a group of NU activists claiming to represent the eight wings of NU issued their statement about the general election on the second floor.
The groups including the youth and women wings of the organization, said in their statement that voting is a right, not an obligation, for all citizens. "Therefore, any citizen has the freedom to exercise or not to use the right," the statement said. "We're not turning a blind eye to the fact that for one reason or another there are members of the community who feel they don't need to use the right."
"There's a growing discontent...over the current system, while improvements are not guaranteed by the general election," it said. "There's a feeling the election has become a 'tool' to maintain the existing power status quo rather than guarantee an open rotation of power. "
The groups also said they detected a growing feeling among members of society that the election was merely a trick to tell the community "that the current power is legitimate".
"There's a feeling that the dominant political group is wishing to win at all costs even by neglecting manners and political norms," it said. "There's a feeling that the right to supervise the election is the monopoly of certain institutions, so that the public's independent control over it is blocked. "There's a feeling that certain political parties are being 'crippled' so that their constituents lose their shelter and became desolate," he said.
The statement said if people choose to abstain from voting the group can "understand their feelings and stance and consider (abstaining) as a legitimate form of political participation". The statement was signed by among others, NU youth intellectual Ulil Abshar Abdalla. Ulil said the statement was the result of a deliberation of the organization's mission known as the Khittah 1926 which says that NU is a religious and educational organization. It is usually also seen as a declaration of the organization's stance on non-political involvement.
Ulil said the groups had consulted some NU leaders prior to drawing up the statement.
Agence France Presse - April 22, 1997
Jakarta – Supporters of Indonesia's popular ousted politician Megawati Sukarnoputri disrupted a rally held by a rival faction of her opposition party, reports said Tuesday.
Thousands of Megawati supporters joined the 4,000-strong crowd at the Indonesian Democracy Party (PDI) rally, which was organised by a faction loyal to her rival Suryadi (Eds:one name). Several of her supporters took over the stage at the rally in Surbaya, East Java, on Monday, and began chanting pro-Megawati slogans, the Kompas daily said.
The two factions hurled stones and bottles at each other before the meeting was cancelled.
With government backing Suryadi ousted Megawati, daughter of modern Indonesia's founding father, former president Sukarno, in mid-term last June as leader of the party.
The Indonesian government has rejected her list of parliamentary candidates for the coming elections, including Megawati's own name. Local pro-Suryadi official, Sabrot Dodong Malioboro, who ended the rally, also said his party would refrain from further campaign activities in East Java "to prevent further negative impacts."
"PDI needs security guarantees," Malioboro said, adding "the recurrence of such incidents may psychologically affect and disadvantage PDI members."
Megawati herself told her faction Sunday to boycott the month- long campaign, although her officials said later she would participate in the election, due on May 29.
Suryadi remains unpopular among the party faithful and Monday was faced with further disruption by Megawati's supporters, particularly in Java.
In Jakarta Suryadi complained to the National Election Supervision Committee many of the PDI flags and banners installed by his supporters around the city disappeared after a few hours.
He believed the party symbols were taken down by Megawati supporters who were acting on her call for a campaign boycott.
In Jakarta, the PDI's campaign was quiet, with small-scale meetings and rallies held around the capital, the Kompas daily said. In Central Java, a stronghold of Megawati supporters, Suryadi followers limited their campaigning on Monday to setting up flags, stickers and banners containing the party symbol.
In Bandung, some 180 kilometres (110 miles) southeast of here, Suryadi's supporters failed to put up a huge party billboard in town after thousands of Megawati supporters got in their way, the Antara news agency said.
The country's main opposition, the Moslem-led United Development Party (PPP) is scheduled on Tuesday to hold campaign rallies in several places around the capital and in the main cities of Java. PPP, which Monday complained the state-owned Televisi Republik Indonesia had failed to report on their huge rallies in Sumatra on Sunday, was then given significant coverage of its party activities in Kalimantan late Monday.
The ruling Golkar party is scheduled to campaign in Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo, and in Sulawesi. Golkar chairman Harmoko is scheduled to address crowds in East and South Kalimantan on Tuesday. Indonesia's 124 million eligible voters will indirectly elect candidates to 425 parliamentary seats in the May 29 polls by choosing from the country's three official political parties – Golkar, PPP and PDI.
Campaigning ends on May 23.
President Suharto's Golkar has scored landslide victories in the past five elections since 1971, and is expected to win again this year. Golkar has been repeatedly criticized for using government facilities and officials to gain support in the elections.
South China Morning Post - April 30, 1997
Agencies in Jakarta – The minority Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), already hit by a damaging split, may cancel election campaigning in the second city of Surabaya after a brawl yesterday between rival supporters.
A party rally was abandoned after the stage was destroyed in fighting between followers of the government-backed PDI faction, led by Deputy Parliamentary Speaker Suryadi, and supporters of ousted leader Megawati Sukarnoputri.
Bachtiar Balukh, head of the official PDI faction in the city, said: "If the situation continues like this we will have to cancel campaigning in Surabaya."
It was the first major incident in an otherwise peaceful start to the campaign for local and national elections, which goes on until May 23.
The polls are being held on May 29.
The Christian-National PDI, the ruling Golkar and the Muslim- oriented United Development Party (PPP) are the only three parties legally permitted to contest the poll for the 425 elected seats in the House of Representatives. The other 75 seats are reserved for the military, which does not vote. The three parties are competing for nearly 125 million potential votes. They have agreed to campaign each day in separate areas of the country, a sprawling archipelago stretching 5,000 kilometres.
The official Antara news agency said the PDI rally in Surabaya turned into a "massive brawl" after a Megawati supporter seized a microphone on the stage.
The supporter shouted "Long live Megawati" before being restrained by party security officials.
Witnesses said stones were thrown at the stage, causing significant damage, before security forces arrived and dispersed the crowd.
Ms Megawati has called on her supporters to stay away from the election campaign, which began on Sunday, in a bid to prevent violence. The PDI has been split since government-backed party rebels, led by former leader Mr Suryadi, ousted Ms Megawati as party head in June last year.
The PDI in Surabaya continued to operate with two rival party branches.
Troops and riot police blocked thousands of PPP supporters from parading illegally on major Jakarta roads yesterday. Efforts by PPP supporters to stage motorcycle and car parades caused traffic chaos in the teeming capital, but there were no reports of violence or arrests.
PPP chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum addressed a rally in Pasuruan, East Java, which party officials said was attended by more than 100,000 people.
However, Lieutenant-Colonel Syaiful Bakrie, head of Pasuruan police, estimated about 50,000 people had attended the event.
"There were no problems at the rally, everything was safe," he said.
Don't take part in campaign, Mega tells supporters
Media Indonesia - 28 April, 1997 (Abridged from Tapol)
[Megawati's 'order of the day' last week seems to have been misinterpreted as being an instruction to boycott the election. This is not - or not yet - the case, according to our interpretation of her words. TAPOL]
On 27 April, the day on which election campaigning is officially permitted to start, Megawati Sukarnoputri held a meeting at her home with about two hundred of her supporters. She reiterated her 'order of the day' issued last week in which she said that the PDI which she leads would not take part in the election campaign, a decision that had been taken after its list of candidates was rejected some months ago.
'PDI members will not take part in the 1997 election campaign,' she told her supporters. She told the AFP that this does not mean that her party had stopped conducting political activities.
She said the scores of her supporters had come to her home to hear exactly what she meant by her order of the day last week.
Another thing she told them was that they should keep safely their voting cards without saying what they should do with the cards.
Many of her supporters have said that they will in fact refrain from voting.
| East Timor |
ASIET - May 2, 1997
On May 2, the Full Federal Court has set aside a decision of the Refugee Review Tribunal that East Timorese refugee, Jong Kim Koe, was not a refugee under the international Refugees Convention to which Australia is a party. The Tribunal will now need to re-hear the case.
The Tribunal had earlier found that Mr Jong would face a real chance of persecution in Indonesia on account of his political opinion. The Tribunal found, however, that Mr Jong had dual nationality, namely, Portuguese citizenship as well as Indonesian citizenship. Under international refugee conventions somebody with dual cirizenship must face a chance of persecution in both countries in which he/she has citizenship, not just one, before they can be regarded under the conventions as a refugee.
According to the summary of the Federal Court's decision which it issued on May 2, the Federal Court decided that the Tribunal had made an error of law in that it had considered only the formal fact of Mr Jong's Portugeuse citizenship and did not consider the "effectiveness of the protection available to the person by the country of his second nationality, in this case Portugal". According to the summary, "The effectiveness of protection has to be considered as a practical matter in the light of all the circumstances of a particular case. The Court has held that the Tribunal did not do this in the present matter,...".
Kim Koe arrived in Australia in March 1992 having decided to leave East Timor following his involvement, along with his brother Kim Li, in the protests in Dili on November 12 which were attacked by the Indonesian military. The attack resulted in the infamous Santa Cruz massacre of over 270 East Timorese. Kim Koe's mother tongue is Tetum, the language of East Timor. He was two years old when the Portugeuse poresence ended in East Timor. he does not speak Portugeuese and has no connections with Portugal. he has four siblings resident in Australia. The Portuguese government itself has it made it clear that it will not accept East Timorese deported to Portugal against their will.
Wall Street Journal - April 28, 1997
Dili – Four men have been arrested in the killing of a member of Indonesia's ruling Golkar party during an election meeting in East Timor, police said Monday.
The arrests brought to six the number of men held in connection with the killing Sunday of Alsino da Costa, 29. It was the only violence on the first day of the official campaign period for May 29 general elections.
East Timor Gov. Abilio Jose Soares said anti-government activists killed da Costa when they tried to break up a ruling party meeting in Baucau, 150 kilometers east of Dili.
Police are looking for more suspects, Col. Yusuf Muharam said by phone from Dili, East Timor's capital.
Indonesia is trying to crush a separatist movement in East Timor, a former Portuguese colony invaded by Indonesian troops in 1975.
Reuters - April 27, 1997
Jakarta – Five East Timorese, including a junior high school student, have gone on trial in the territory in connection with the death of a soldier on a Christmas eve, Indonesia's official Antara news agency reported on Sunday.
Antara said the trial of the defendants, aged between 17 and 22, started on Saturday in Dili, East Timor's capital, under tight security.
"The prosecutors have charged the defendants with assault, which (led) to the death of Alfredo Siga dos Santos in front of the Dili cathedral," said Antara. Assault carries a maximum penalty of five years and six months in jail in Indonesia.
Antara said the youths beat Corporal Dos Santos to death near Dili's cathedral on December 24. It gave no further details.
The military said the soldier, wearing civilian clothes, was off-duty and was visiting the cathedral on his own as a worshipper.
On the same day, several other police and soldiers were attacked by members of a crowd that had gathered to welcome home Nobel Peace laureate Bishop Carlos Belo from an overseas trip.
Belo has publicly apologised for the death of the soldier, a native of East Timor and father of seven.
Indonesia invaded East Timor, a former Portuguese colony, in December 1975 and made it the country's 27th province the next year. The move has not been recognised by the United Nations, which regards Lisbon as the territory's administering power.
Police said last month they had charged 24 East Timorese with showing hatred toward the Indonesian government after they staged a protest during a visit by U.N. envoy for East Timor Jamsheed Marker.
The detainees have been accused of damaging property, possessing sharp weapons and resisting arrest. No trial date has been set.
| Labour issues |
Labor Alerts - May 1, 1997
The ink was barely dry on the Presidential task force agreement on sweatshops when new labor protests erupted because of inadequate pay at Nike factories. On April 22 and then again on April 25, 10,000 workers went on strike at a Nike factory in Indonesia. During the same week, 1,300 workers went on strike at a Nike factory in Vietnam. Nike's workers have yet to benefit from the task force agreement. It is imperative to keep up the pressure with the Nike campaign.
Wildcat strikes such as the two recent uprisings at the PT HASI plant in Indonesia are not usual at Nike factories in that country. What is new is that the mainstream media are now reporting these events. Media coverage gives the striking workers a slightly greater measure of security than they previously have enjoyed. Nike knows that the world is watching.
The second round of protests at the PT HASI plant was reported to involve some destruction of property. It is likely that provocation by the military touched off such activity. Whatever the facts of this particular situation, we should keep in mind that any labor activity in Indonesia takes place in a context of severe repression. Independent unions are outlawed in Indonesia. Independent union leader Dita Sari was sentenced to 6 years in prison on the same day that the workers marched. Independent union leader Muchtar Pakpahan is on trial for his life. With so few viable options, Nike workers can resort only to spontaneous, wildcat actions when their level of frustration becomes unendurable. If destruction of property sometimes is involved, the shame is entirely on Nike.
The most controversial point in the Presidential task force agreement is the standard for wages. The agreement accepts the legal minimum wage or prevailing industry wage (whichever is higher). It is widely acknowledged that, in most countries where the apparel industry produces, the legal minimum wage does not constitute a living wage. Many governments keep the legal minimum unrealistically low in order to attract foreign investment by companies such as those of the apparel industry. To accept the legal minimum as the standard is to require the industry to "comply" with the unacceptable rate which its own outsourcing practices have created.
The issue in these disputes is NOT that Nike cannot keep its contractors under control. In fact, the situation is quite the opposite. Huge multinational corporations such as Nike exercise ultimate control over labor conditions by paying an insufficient rate per item to their contractors. Given what Nike pays its contractors per shoe, those shoes can be made ONLY under sweatshop conditions.
Nike criticised Global Exchange for its press release based on an April 23 account of the strike printed in the Jakarta Post. Thuyen Nguyen, whose accounts of Nike labor abuses in Vietnam were widely reported by the media last month, has observed that Nike was always quick to try to discredit his reports by quibbling over details while ignoring the well-substantiated larger picture of abuse.
Kompas - 26 April, 1997
Tangerang - About 6,000 workers from PT HASI (Hardaya Aneka Shoes Industry) Tangerang-producer of Nike shoes-went on strike and broke the glasses of the plant's office on Friday (25/4). On the same day at Bekasi at least 2,000 workers of the PT Surya Achilles Indonesia shoe plant also went on strike, demanding the putting into effect of the new UMR (Minimum Regional Wage) regulation of Rp5,700.-/day.
The strike of the Nike shoe workers started about 07.00 hours West Indonesia Time. Besides the glasses of the office, the PT HASI workers also damaged the office car of the Office Chief of the Department of Manpower of Tangerang, Drs Engkos Kosim. This act did not spread however and only took place in the plant's compound. A security guard from PT HASI, Ernowo Prasetyo (30) was wounded by the masses. While two female workers collapsed in the dense crowd.
Tuesday (22/4) about 10,000 PT HASI workers made a long march of 10 km from the plant location to the Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) building of Tangerang municipality. They went to the DPRD to demand improvement of welfare. Among others the repayment of presence premium of Rp 4000/week and UMR increase of 10.07 percent. On that same day was reached an agreement between the representatives of the workers and the company's management, the demand was fulfilled. The agreement was even poured into a contract. According to information gathered by Kompas Friday yesterday at the location of the strike, the action of the workers only ended after the arrival of hundreds of security guards from the PHH (Anti Riot Troops) from Kodam Jaya, Brimob Polda Metro Jaya, Kodim 0506/BS Tangerang, and Polres Metro Tangerang. Around 10.00 hours West Indonesia Time the mass of workers could be dispersed.
Following the acts of destruction, the PT HASI management stopped production and sent the workers on leave for two days, Friday and Saturday (26/4). The security apparatus remained on guard around the plant, eventhough the workers had already been dispersed.
The mayor of Tangerang municipality and the Tangerang police chief were seen when the mass of workers still gathered at the plant. Around 13.00 hours West Indonesia Time the mayor, police chief and management of PT HASI negotiated to seek a solution. The results of the negotiation are stil unknown.
There is also still no official clarification about the cause of the strike and the damaging. The Personnel Manager of PT HASI, Alfonso said to reporters that his side also did not know clearly what the cause of the riot was. According to him the action of the workers yesterday was probably a sequence of former affairs. Meanwhile, he continued, at that time an agreement was reached already between the representative of the workers and the company about the claims of the workers when they negotiated at the DPRD. In Bekasi
In Bekasi the strike went on orderly. After filling the presention, the workers went out and sat in the court of the plant. A number of the management of PUK (Working Unit Management) SPSI (Workers Association of Whole Indonesia) PT Surya Achilles Indonesia immediately contacted the executives of the company to convey the demands of the workers.
The management then contacted the Office of the Department of Manpower Bekasi which sent its representative, F Sihombing. While the workers appointed Abu Bastari from DPD SPSI Bekasi Regency to negotiate with the company. Until Friday afternoon there were no results.
According to the workers the company which produces shoes for export to Japan paid since 1995 a wage of Rp4.300 per day or Rp 128,000 per month. "In 1996 our wage was not increased and in 1997 the company announced that the wage was not increased," said a worker.
On 22 April PT Surya Achilles announced that the company could not pay the wages according to the new UMR, namely Rp5,700 per day. The company was only able to pay Rp5,200/day or Rp156,000/month.
Besides the UMR problem, the workers also asked the company to pay overtime full. According to Nurcholis, a worker of the shoe plant who is also a member of the (PUK SPSI PT Surya Achilles Indonesia, the average overtime of the worker is 3-4 hours per day. They are however only paid 2 hours per day.
The workers also stated that their wage was deducted with Rp1,500/week by the management, without explanation of the reason.