11 activists jailed for ignoring police order<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Eleven supporters of government critic Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri were sentenced to two months and 23 days for
\nignoring a police order during a Feb. 11 demonstration.<\/p>\n
They were the last group of 157 people tried at South Jakarta
\nDistrict Court on the same charges. Thirty-five people were fined
\nRp 2,500 and the remaining 122 were sentenced to between two
\nmonths and 10 days or two months and 23 days.<\/p>\n
Separately, four labor activists sympathetic to Muchtar
\nPakpahan, the jailed leader of the Indonesian Prosperous Labor
\nUnion (SBSI), were indicted at Central Jakarta District Court
\nyesterday for ignoring a police order during a demonstration on
\nMarch 9 in front of Sarinah department store on Jl. Thamrin.<\/p>\n
At the South Jakarta court, Pantas Nainggolan, one of the
\nlawyers representing the 11 defendants, failed in his bid to have
\nthe court release the defendants.<\/p>\n
\"Not a single piece of evidence or testimony has proved that
\nthe defendants were guilty of violating any rules as charged,\"
\nPantas said.<\/p>\n
The only two witnesses testifying in court were police
\nofficers so their testimony was predictable, he said.<\/p>\n
\"Everything was set up and the whole trial is not
\nindependent.\"<\/p>\n
However, presiding judge Abu Amin rejected the lawyer's plea
\nand found the defendants guilty of ignoring a police order.<\/p>\n
\"We have given you a chance to present your witnesses. But you
\nthrew away the chance,\" said Amin, who delivered the verdict
\nwithout the usual procedure of consulting the other judges.<\/p>\n
Amin made the ruling as soon as Pantas had finished his plea.<\/p>\n
The defendants will be freed today as they have been detained
\nfor two months and 22 days.<\/p>\n
The convicts were among 157 members of Barisan Merah Putih
\n(The Red-and-White Front) who were arrested while marching from
\nthe Attorney General's Office in Blok M to the Ministry of
\nManpower on Jl. Gatot Subroto.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, at the Central Jakarta district court, prosecutor
\nSuhardi charged the four defendants -- Kuldip Singh, 26, Farah
\nDiba Agustine, 23, Widhi Wahyu, 21 and Wandy Nicodemus Tuturoong,
\n26 -- with staging a political activity.<\/p>\n
Besides protesting against the price hike, Suhardi said the
\ndefendants also called on the government to end corruption,
\nmonopolies, and nepotism, and to free Muchtar Pakpahan.<\/p>\n
\"The demonstration involving about 20 people caused a traffic
\njam in the area.\"<\/p>\n
He charged the defendants under Article 5 of Law No. 5\/1963 on
\npolitical activities and Article 218 of the Criminal Code on
\nignoring a police order.<\/p>\n
Pakpahan is currently serving a four-year jail term for
\ninciting labor unrest in North Sumatra province in 1994. He is
\nalso being tried for subversion in relation to rioting here in
\nJuly 1996.<\/p>\n
Presiding judge I Nyoman Putra adjourned the trial until
\nFriday to hear the defendants' statements. (jun)<\/p>",
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