Muchtar Pakpahan admits involvement in street rally<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): From his hospital room, labor leader Muchtar
\nPakpahan has admitted that he distributed a letter urging
\nnationwide protests during the just concluded General Session of
\nthe People's Consultative Assembly.<\/p>\n
Pakpahan's lawyer Bambang Widjojanto said the ailing labor
\nleader had been questioned yesterday at Cikini Hospital, where he
\nwas being treated for a lung tumor.<\/p>\n
Pakpahan was questioned for more than two hours.<\/p>\n
Bambang said the session was conducted in a amiable atmosphere
\nwith about 18 questions being raised by the police.<\/p>\n
\"There were three police officers questioning Pakpahan,\"
\nBambang said, identifying them as Capt. Aris Munandar, First Lt.
\nMudjiyono and Sgt. Maj. H.L. Tobing.<\/p>\n
The police were quoted by Bambang as saying that there would
\nbe no further questioning of Pakpahan.<\/p>\n
Pakpahan, the leader of the unrecognized Indonesian Prosperous
\nLabor Union, is currently serving a four-year jail term after
\nbeing found guilty of inciting labor unrest in Medan, North
\nSumatra, in 1994.<\/p>\n
Pakpahan is also being tried for subversion in relation to
\nriots here in July 1996.<\/p>\n
During yesterday's questioning, Pakpahan admitted that he had
\ncirculated the letter which resulted in Monday's rally on Jl. MH
\nThamrin, Central Jakarta. Four participating labor activists were
\narrested by police.<\/p>\n
Pakpahan's letter, dated March 6, urged employees, workers and
\nsympathizers to hold a mass rally and march on the House of
\nRepresentatives building where the Assembly convened.<\/p>\n
Among the places where people were told to assemble was in
\nfront of Jl. Thamrin, Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Besides protesting against the soaring prices of basic
\ncommodities and demanding the increase of workers' wages, the
\nrally also urged the government to prevent layoffs, abolish
\ncorruption, collusion, nepotism and monopoly practices.<\/p>\n
They also called for the release of Pakpahan.<\/p>\n
\"But, the rally was actually carried out because we were
\ndisappointed with the General Session as it did not seriously
\ndeliberate the people's hardship,\" Pakpahan was quoted by Bambang
\nas saying.<\/p>\n
Authorities had forbidden all mass gatherings and street
\nrallies one week before and after the 11-day General Session of
\nthe People's Consultative Assembly which ended Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Pakpahan had also expressed his disappointment with
\nPresident's Soeharto's accountability speech which he said
\nneglected labor problems over the past five years.<\/p>\n
He said the account gave neither a substantive portrayal of
\nthe nationwide labor strife nor any guidelines for the campaign
\nto improve workers' welfare. (byg)<\/p>",
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