New ruling on permits ready soon<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government is about to make good on its
\npromise to ease permit requirements for gatherings, announcing
\nyesterday that new guidelines regulating them will come into
\neffect next month.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and Security
\nSoesilo Soedarman revealed that a coordinating meeting of
\nministers under his charge approved a draft guideline on permits
\nand notification of gatherings.<\/p>\n
The draft was prepared by an inter-departmental team, headed
\nby Minister of Justice Oetojo Oesman. The team was founded in
\nJune to review the controversial regulations requiring people to
\nobtain permission for every gathering, including cultural
\nperformances.<\/p>\n
\"The guideline will be incorporated in a decree which is
\nscheduled to be signed on Dec. 19, and will become effective as
\nof January 1996,\" Soesilo said.<\/p>\n
He would not disclose details of the guideline saying that it
\nwill be fully elaborated on after it is formally signed.<\/p>\n
\"This is not designed to make things difficult, but rather as
\na clear guideline for both the people and security officials,\" he
\nsaid after yesterday's meeting.<\/p>\n
Among those that attended the meeting were Minister of Foreign
\nAffairs Ali Alatas, Minister of Defense and Security Gen. (ret.)
\nEdi Sudrajat, Minister of Information Harmoko and Minister\/State
\nSecretary Moerdiono.<\/p>\n
The government announced in August that it was waiving permit
\nrequirements for non-political gatherings such as cultural,
\nreligious and social events.<\/p>\n
Requirements were also relaxed for political gatherings and
\nscientific seminars. People who plan to hold such gatherings are
\nonly required to inform the police about the intended event.<\/p>\n
But in the absence of clear guidelines, a number of meetings
\nand cultural performances have continued to become victims of
\ngovernment bans on the pretext of ensuring order and stability.<\/p>\n
Prior to the August announcement, security officials
\nmaintained a tight grip on various social and political
\ngatherings. No less than 26 events had been broken-up in the
\nfirst half of this year, including several cultural performances.<\/p>\n
Political figures and government critics such as Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party (PDI) chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri and
\nhead of the Nahdlatul Ulama Moslem organization Abdurrahman Wahid
\nwere among the victims of this policy.<\/p>\n
The permit requirements have come under a great deal of
\ncriticism with charges that they deviate from Article 28 of the
\n1945 Constitution's guaranteeing people's freedom of assemblage
\nand association.<\/p>\n
When they made August's announcement, Soesilo and Oetojo said
\nthat permit requirements were caused by unclear guidelines which
\nresulted in different interpretations by authorities on the
\nground.<\/p>\n
Soesilo said yesterday that he hoped the new decree would
\nclear up any confusion concerning people's right to assemble.<\/p>\n
Speaking on the emergence of a number of new mass-
\norganizations, Soesilo said the government would tolerate them as
\nlong as they conform with the existing laws governing these
\nissues.<\/p>\n
\"If they don't abide by the law, the government will not allow
\nthem to exist,\" he warned.<\/p>\n
A series of political laws enacted in 1985 ruled that only
\nthree political parties are allowed to contest the general
\nelection. The legislation also required mass organizations to
\npledge allegiance to the state ideology Pancasila and to register
\nwith the Ministry of Home Affairs.<\/p>\n
One of the new organizations which sprang-up last week,
\nMasyumi - named after a defunct Moslem party which was popular in
\nthe 1950s - said it wants to become a political party in the
\nfuture.<\/p>\n
\"Don't take advantage of the government's good will,\" Soesilo
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Soesilo said that yesterday's meeting discussed the heightened
\nunrest and tensions that have been detected in many parts of the
\ncountry in recent months.<\/p>\n
\"We will hold a special coordinating meeting to discuss the
\ndisturbances going on in society,\" he said, adding that experts
\non social psychology will be brought in to examine the causes.<\/p>\n
Various parts of the country such as Purwakarta, West Java,
\nand Pekalongan, Central Java, and East Timor have been struck by
\ncommunal strife in the past two months. (mds)<\/p>\n
Photo -- Page 2<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/new-ruling-on-permits-ready-soon-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }