Press protesters warned to stay off the streets<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Police yesterday vowed to crack down hard on new
\nstreet demonstrations as the nation took a respite following days
\nof protests and counter protests over the government's ban
\nagainst three news weeklies.<\/p>\n
\"We'll stop them again the same way,\" Jakarta Police Chief
\nMaj. Gen. Moch. Hindarto told reporters yesterday, referring to
\nthe clamp down on protesters on Monday which left several people
\ninjured and led to the arrests of dozens of people.<\/p>\n
\"If they want a contest of power, they'll have it.\"<\/p>\n
Hindarto said police had to resort to the use of force to
\nquell two demonstrations on Monday because they were illegal.
\n\"Any demonstration must have the police permit beforehand.\"<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Police chief was present at the time his force
\nmoved to quell the demonstration and made the arrests on Monday.<\/p>\n
Goenawan Mohamad, the director of Tempo, one of the three
\nbanned magazines, responded to Hindarto's threat last night
\nsaying that protesters would have no chance against the police.<\/p>\n
\"If it comes to a contest of force, we'll lose. How can we
\nwin?\" Goenawan said.<\/p>\n
The other two magazines that lost their publishing licenses
\nwere DeTIK and Editor.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Central Jakarta District Court yesterday held
\nspeedy trials for 21 people, including vocal poet W.S. Rendra,
\nwho were taken into custody at two separate demonstrations on
\nMonday.<\/p>\n
One teenager was acquitted and the other 20 were fined Rp
\n2,000 (less than $1) each or face five days imprisonment after
\nthe court found them guilty of creating a public disturbance.<\/p>\n
Rendra and the seven members of his Bengkel (workshop) Teater
\ngroup decided to accept the verdict and pay the fines but not
\nbefore insisting on making a little speech.<\/p>\n
\"What I wanted to say was that the government's move to revoke
\nthe licenses of the three magazines without upholding legal
\nprocedures is dangerous because the laws have not been upheld,\"
\nRendra said in the trial, justifying his presence at the
\ndemonstration.<\/p>\n
Later he told journalists before leaving the court building
\nthat he had no qualms with the trial. \"It's good. I enjoyed
\npopular support for my cause and even the judge saw it as
\nsomething positive.\"<\/p>\n
The other twelve protesters, mostly activists and students,
\nsaid they were appealing the guilty verdicts in the higher court.
\nThey were released but might have to serve four days in jail if
\nthe high court upholds the verdict.<\/p>\n
\"The court proceeding is the greatest joke of the year,\" said
\nLuhut Pangaribuan, one of lawyers from the Indonesian Legal Aid
\nFoundation (YLBHI) who represented the defendants.<\/p>\n
Police however still detained vocal activist Beathor Suryadi
\nof the Pijar Foundation and he now faces more serious charges as
\nhe had breached the term of his conditional release.<\/p>\n
Police sources said that Beathor could be charged with
\nproducing provocative leaflets.<\/p>\n
Beathor, whom his colleagues said was injured in the scuffle
\nwith police on Monday, was still under probation after his
\nrelease from jail last year. He was also serving time for
\ndistributing leaflets to discredit President Soeharto.<\/p>\n
Losses<\/p>\n
The only demonstration of the press ban yesterday took place
\nin front of the National Commission on Human Rights when some 35
\nnewspaper sellers and news agents turned up along with
\njournalists of the three banned magazines.<\/p>\n
They said the weeklies, particularly DeTIK which had the
\nlargest circulation of 450,000, had been their prime source of
\nincome and the government bans would mean substantial losses in
\nearnings.<\/p>\n
The demonstration was joined by a number of workers of shoe
\nfactories in Tangerang and Bekasi, who turned up to express their
\ndisappointment at the ban since the three magazines had given
\nextensive coverage about labor problems in the country.<\/p>\n
The Association of Indonesian Journalists (PWI) yesterday
\nexpressed concern that the growing street protests would only
\nmuddle rather than solve the problem.<\/p>\n
In a statement signed by deputy chairman Tribuana Said and
\nSecretary General Parni Hadi, PWI called on its members to use
\nthe organization to solve the problem.<\/p>\n
The Association of Catholic Students (PMKRI) yesterday sent
\nits representatives to the House of Representatives to express
\ntheir disappointment at the ban.<\/p>\n
At the YLBHI, about 30 journalists and activists from various
\nnon-governmental organizations pledged to continue their push for
\nfreedom of the press. (pan\/11\/bsr\/arf)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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