Political trials 'have been used to curb dissent'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Political trials have become a legal ploy
\nexploited by the government to curb dissent, rights activists
\nsaid here yesterday.<\/p>\n
\"Political trials are an irrefutable phenomenon of how the
\ngovernment treats dissenting parties,\" the Indonesian Legal Aid
\nand Human Rights Association's (PBHI) executive director Hendardi
\ntold journalists.<\/p>\n
He said the trials were merely a formality and usually ended
\nwith punishment against the so-called \"dissidents\".<\/p>\n
\"Trials are also aimed at frightening the public against
\nemulating such dissent,\" Hendardi said.<\/p>\n
PBHI, in its 1997 human rights evaluation, said yesterday that
\nduring the year a number of public figures were taken to court as
\ntheir political views were deemed to be an affront to the
\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
They include former legislator Sri Bintang Pamungkas, labor
\nactivist Muchtar Pakpahan, alleged book distributor Rachmad
\nBuchori Nasution, ousted leader of the Indonesian Democratic
\nParty Megawati Soekarnoputri and activists of the Democratic
\nPeople's Party's (PRD).<\/p>\n
PBHI condemned these persecutions saying that political trials
\nresembled practices by authoritarian countries, and should not
\noccur in a democratic society where such practices are abandoned.<\/p>\n
\"To try a person's political view is against the right to
\nfreedom of expression,\" Hendardi said, adding that in a
\ndemocratic state, citizens should not be tried for harboring
\ndifferent political views.<\/p>\n
Hendardi lamented the continued persistence of a number of
\nrepressive laws such as the 1963 Antisubversion Law which the
\ngovernment has kept alive under the pretext that political
\ndynamism may threaten national stability.<\/p>\n
Violations<\/p>\n
In its 28-page evaluation, PBHI claimed that human rights
\nviolations were worse this year than 1996, particularly in terms
\nof civil and political rights.<\/p>\n
Based on reports from PBHI's network in 32 cities throughout
\nthe country, 412 civil and political rights violations were
\nrecorded, compared to 1996 which only saw 291 recorded cases.<\/p>\n
PBHI also specified three other categories of rights
\nviolations -- workers' rights, land rights and consumer rights.<\/p>\n
The PBHI report cited 1,982 violations of workers' rights, 361
\ncases of forced land appropriation, and 1,509 violations of
\nconsumer rights.<\/p>\n
PBHI claimed that more than 60 percent of civil and human
\nrights violations were committed by either police or military
\nofficials.<\/p>\n
Victims of these cases were predominately political and public
\nfigures, accounting for 227 cases.<\/p>\n
Other victims included 56 student cases, 50 journalist cases,
\n38 cases involving non-governmental organizations, political
\nparties 38 cases and religious groups 22 cases.<\/p>\n
Ninety-three cases involved \"individuals\" not included in the
\nabove.<\/p>\n
PBHI reported that most of the workers' rights violations
\ninvolved wage and allowance matters, 1,157 out of the 1,982
\nworkers' rights violations cases recorded.<\/p>\n
PBHI further lamented the government's slow response in
\ninvestigating a number of cases which involved human rights
\nviolations.<\/p>\n
It said that up till the end of this year, there had been
\nlittle sign from the government to initiate thorough
\ninvestigations on several \"unfinished cases\" such as the July 27,
\n1996 riot, the murder of labor activist Marsinah and the murder
\nof Bernas journalist Fuad Muhammad Syafruddin.<\/p>\n
\"Human rights violations will be worse if the government lets
\nthese cases slip away or stalls the investigation to protect
\ncertain parties,\" Hendardi warned. (10)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/political-trials-have-been-used-to-curb-dissent-1447893297",
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