Police arrest three during antigovt rally<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Police arrested three people on Sunday for allegedly provoking
\nviolence during a rally at the State Palace against a decree on
\nland seizures.<\/p>\n
About 400 people from several non-governmental organizations
\ntook part in the rally, which was held to protest Presidential
\nRegulation No. 36\/2005 on land acquisitions and Jakarta
\nGubernatorial Decree No. 1222\/2005 on land acquisition committees
\nin the province.<\/p>\n
Antara reported the demonstration became heated at about 3
\np.m. after a speaker at the rally told the crowd to close ranks
\nto prevent the police from dispersing them.<\/p>\n
Officers then began to move in on the crowd and the two sides
\nbegan pushing each other. Officers took away three of the
\ndemonstrators.<\/p>\n
\"Three of our friends were taken away. They are Syahrono from
\nBojong, West Java, Kohar from Yogyakarta and Mul from the Urban
\nPoor Consortium,\" said rally coordinator Didik Rahmanto.<\/p>\n
Didik said police insisted on dispersing the crowd, which
\nbegan gathering at 1 p.m., because rally coordinators failed to
\nnotify the police beforehand of the demonstrations, as required
\nby the law on freedom of expression.<\/p>\n
\"We notified the police that we would hold a rally that would
\nlast until 4 p.m.,\" Didik claimed, adding that many people in the
\ncrowd were \"roughed up\" by the police during the clash.<\/p>\n
Police officers, who refused to comment on the incident, also
\nimpounded a car equipped with loudspeakers used during the
\nrally.<\/p>\n
\"These two regulations are evidence of how the government is
\npushing through its own interests at the expense of people. They
\nwill simply sweep away the few rights left to the poor and kill
\nany hope for a better future,\" said Didik.<\/p>\n
During the rally, demonstrators wore clown masks and masks on
\nwhich was written \"RI-1\", referring to the President.<\/p>\n
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono issued Regulation No.
\n36\/2005 on May 3, citing the need to obtain land for development
\nprojects that are in the interest of the public, and to resolve
\nland-related conflicts that have stalled several infrastructure
\nprojects.<\/p>\n
The President has defended the policy and has promised the
\nregulation will not be used to evict people without properly
\ncompensating them for their land.<\/p>\n
The crowd expressed support for the House of Representatives,
\nwhich has asked both the President and Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso
\nto explain the regulations.<\/p>\n
On June 7, the House gave the government two months to revise
\nseveral articles in the Presidential regulation, including on the
\nindependence of land acquisition committees, the unilateral
\nsettlement of land compensation and the definition of \"public
\ninterests\".<\/p>\n
The lawmakers also said the regulation could not be applied to
\nongoing projects.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/police-arrest-three-during-antigovt-rally-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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