Former minister sues student group<\/p>\n
Evi Mariani
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
Former minister of religious affairs Tarmizi Taher complained to
\nthe Jakarta Police on Thursday that he had been defamed by a
\ngroup of students who included his name on a list of \"70
\npoliticians with a bad record\".<\/p>\n
\"I'm an intellectual and a cleric ... how can I be accused of
\nhaving a bad record? I was never involved in corruption or
\ncollusion,\" he said at the police headquarters.<\/p>\n
On Jan. 15, the Jakarta Students Action Network (JSAN)
\npublished a list of 70 politicians whose names were submitted by
\n\"concerned residents\".<\/p>\n
Tarmizi, who claimed he is not a legislative candidate, said
\nhe had contacted a member of JSAN, Dodi Irawan, and JSAN
\nspokeswoman Yuli Prihatmoko, to ask why he was on the list.<\/p>\n
\"But they could not give me an adequate reason or evidence,\"
\nTarmizi added. \"So, I reported them to the police. Let the courts
\ndecide who is right in this case.\"<\/p>\n
Tarmizi accused JSAN of violating Article 310 of the Criminal
\nCode on defamation. The article stipulates a maximum sentence of
\n16 months' imprisonment if someone is found guilty of tarnishing
\na person's reputation through widespread, adverse publicity.<\/p>\n
Ahead of the general elections this year, activists, students,
\nacademics and political observers launched a nationwide campaign
\nagainst \"crooked\" politicians whose names are on the list of
\nlegislative aspirants.<\/p>\n
The first such campaign was launched on Dec. 23, 2003, urging
\npeople not to elect \"crooked politicians\".<\/p>",
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