Drama will not cause any unrest: Playwright<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): An expert witness, testifying in a lawsuit filed
\nby a theater group, dismissed as groundless yesterday earlier
\nstatements by the head of a city directorate that the performance
\nof a play which the group had planned to perform could have
\nsparked social unrest.<\/p>\n
The Teater Buruh Indonesia (Indonesian Workers Theater Group)
\nis suing Bagus Suharyono, head of the City Directorate of Social
\nand Political Affairs, whom they accuse of banning their planned
\nperformance of a play in Jakarta last May.<\/p>\n
In yesterday's trial session the group called two witnesses:
\nRosty Munthe, the playwright of Senandung Terpuruk dari Balik
\nTembok Pabrik (Miserable Symphony from behind the Factory Walls),
\nthe play at the center of the lawsuit, and Yopi Tambayong, better
\nknown as Remy Silado, a literary critic and actor.<\/p>\n
Rosty said that Bagus' refusal to issue a letter of
\nrecommendation for the performance of the play on the ground that
\nthe play could spark social unrest was without factual
\nfoundation. \"The group has performed the play twice previously in
\nother places without any problem,\" she told presiding judge
\nBenyamin Mangkoedilaga at the Jakarta State Administrative Court.<\/p>\n
\"There is no prohibition against the use of the word buruh
\n(worker) because it is still being used in some provisions in our
\nlaws,\" she added, referring to Bagus' objection to the use of the
\nword.<\/p>\n
In his letter number 360\/078.6, Bagus acknowledged that he had
\nrefused to issue the necessary letter of recommendation unless
\nthe organizers changed the name of the group as well as the title
\nand the plot of the play. He also stated that letters of
\nrecommendation issued by the City Office of Cultural Affairs and
\nthe City Tourism Office were no longer valid.<\/p>\n
Bagus reportedly said that his objection to the play's being
\nperformed was based on his view that it could spark social unrest
\nand that the word buruh, used in some of the play's dialog as
\nwell as in the name of the group, was unacceptable because it had
\nbeen used by the outlawed Indonesian Communist Party.<\/p>\n
The play deals with the plight of highly exploited and poorly
\npaid Indonesian workers, particularly those employed in
\nfactories.<\/p>\n
Rosty, who is also an advisor to the group, said that she knew
\nthe organizers of the performance had applied for a permit to the
\nrelevant agencies. She said that the organizers had obtained
\nletters of recommendation from the City Office of Cultural
\nAffairs and the City Tourism Office.<\/p>\n
The two letters of recommendation, together with one from the
\nCity Directorate of Social and Political Affairs, were required
\nby the police before they would issue a permit.<\/p>\n
\"However, the City Directorate of Social and Political Affairs
\ndeclined to issue such a recommendation letter and even revoked
\nthe letters of recommendation from the City Tourism Office and
\nthe City Office of Cultural Affairs,\" Rosty said.(29)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/drama-will-not-cause-any-unrest-playwright-1447893297",
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