Mega reacts emotionally to stomping protesters<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Speaking again before supporters of the Indonesian Democratic
\nParty of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) at her private residence in
\nKebagusan, South Jakarta on Tuesday, President Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri expressed her disappointment over recent
\nantigovernment demonstrations in which protesters stomped on her
\npictures.<\/p>\n
"When I look at my pictures -- and I actually look pretty
\nthere -- and see people stomping on them, I feel like I want to
\nthrow up ... like a volcano about to explode," she said in an
\nemotional tone.<\/p>\n
She added she felt like going after the protesters, warning in
\nJavanese, "I'll remember that face."<\/p>\n
Before a similar forum at the same place last Tuesday, the
\nPresident criticized the press which she said were unfair in
\ntheir coverage of the antigovernment demonstration. The informal
\nspeech drew cynical reactions from her critics who said she only
\ndared to speak out in front of her supporters, instead of in
\nformal and respected fora.<\/p>\n
Police have been cracking down on protesters who allegedly
\ninsulted the President in various ways during the rallies.<\/p>\n
Police have summoned five students in Solo, Central Java,
\nafter they allegedly burned the pictures of her and Vice
\nPresident Hamzah Haz.<\/p>\n
Earlier this month, a 20-year-old Acehnese woman activist
\nRaihana Diani was sentenced to six months in prison for insulting
\nMegawati and Hamzah. She painted a red X on the pictures of the
\ntwo leaders.<\/p>\n
Raihana said it was a personal expression but prosecutors were
\nnot amused and demanded she be jailed for eight months.<\/p>\n
Two demonstrators were sentenced to one year in prison in
\nOctober last year after they were caught stomping on the official
\nportraits of Megawati and Hamzah.<\/p>\n
All have been charged with violating Article 134 of the
\nCriminal Code on the deliberate intent to insult the president or
\nvice president. The crime carries a maximum penalty of six years
\nin prison.<\/p>\n
Right activists have raised concerns over the government's
\nincreased use of the article.<\/p>\n
Known as a "rubber" article, the clause was often used under
\nPresident Soeharto's regime to suppress critics.<\/p>\n
Former president B.J. Habibie and his successor Abdurrahman
\nWahid drew many antigovernment demonstrations but neither invoked
\nthe article to act against their protesters.<\/p>\n
"There are ethics in criticizing," Megawati told her cheering
\nsupporters, and questioned why students burned tires or the
\nnational flag when they demonstrated.<\/p>\n
But political analyst Hermawan Sulistyo said the government
\nwas responding to harsh sanctions over recent protests against
\nincreases in fuel prices, electricity and telephone charges.<\/p>\n
According to him, the government had become sensitive because
\nthe protests were also targeting Megawati.<\/p>\n
University of Indonesia's legal expert Harkristuti Harkrisnowo
\nadded that the ambiguous criteria over what constitutes an insult
\nto the president gave the government leeway to go after
\nprotesters.<\/p>\n
"It is up to the police to determine whether someone has
\ninsulted the president and should therefore be prosecuted" she
\nsaid but added that the final decision rested with court judges.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/mega-reacts-emotionally-to-stomping-protesters-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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