Officer testifies students insulted Soeharto<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A police officer testified in a defamation trial
\nyesterday that the poems read by students during a protest
\nagainst the government last December contained strong words which
\nattacked the President's integrity.<\/p>\n
Made Kamaraman, an officer at the Central Jakarta police
\nprecinct, identified four defendants, Yeni Rosa Damayanti, Adi
\nKurniawan, Masduki and Hendrik Dikson Sirait, as the students who
\ntook turns reading the poems during the Dec. 14 anti-government
\ndemonstration at the House of Representatives (DPR).<\/p>\n
Made told the Central Jakarta District Court that the
\ndefendants insulted Soeharto through the poems they read.
\nAccording to Made, they delivered the readings in front of the
\nbanners displayed by the other students during the protest which
\ncarried statements which strongly criticized the President.<\/p>\n
Made told the court that he was present at the House compound
\non that date to videotape the demonstration. \"We videotape any
\ndemonstrations for our records,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The defendants and their lawyers rejected Made's testimony
\nsaying that they contradict previous statements he made before
\nthe court and the police.<\/p>\n
Made said he remembered some verses of the poems.<\/p>\n
However in the dossiers sent before the investigators, the
\nwitness said that although he did not remember any of the verses,
\nhe concluded that the poems discredited the President.<\/p>\n
The witness was also attacked by the lawyers for insisting
\nthat the demonstrators were arrested by the police.<\/p>\n
The defendants and their lawyers claimed that the arrest was
\nmade by the military.<\/p>\n
Yeni and Hendrik told the court at an earlier session that the
\npoems they read during the demonstration were written by noted
\npoet W.S Rendra, whose works have been made public.<\/p>\n
The four are among the 21 students being tried on charges of
\ndefaming the President, an offense punishable by up to six years
\nin prison. They are being prosecuted in groups of four, six and
\neleven, depending on the degree of their crimes.<\/p>\n
The students, along with about 100 other colleagues, took part
\nin the protest demanding a special session by the People's
\nConsultative Assembly (MPR) to review Soeharto's accountability
\nfor a series of violent incidents involving security officers and
\ncivilians.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, lawyers representing the students in the group of
\nsix asked the court's permission to present 16 witnesses who
\nwould testify in favor of the defendants.<\/p>\n
All the prosecutor's witnesses have appeared in the court.<\/p>\n
Among the noted figures asked by the lawyers to testify are
\nlegislator Sabam Sirait, former Jakarta governor Ali Sadikin, and
\nscholars Arbi Sanit and F.V Frans Magnis Suseno.<\/p>\n
The panel of judges presided over by Partoso, however, did not
\nreach any agreement yesterday on who should appear on the next
\ntrial. The judges are scheduled to make their decision tomorrow.<\/p>\n
\"We have to be serious in handling the case of these young
\npeople. We don't want to make mistakes,\" Partoso explained.<\/p>\n
Also at the same trial, Supardi, an officer at the Central
\nJakarta Police Precinct, said that the six defendants had taken
\npart in the demonstration by unfurling the two banners attacking
\nthe President. One of the banners read \"Drag the President to
\nMPR's extraordinary assembly\", said the witness. (par)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/officer-testifies-students-insulted-soeharto-1447893297",
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