Protrests against press ban move off the streets<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Protesters against the government ban on three
\nnews magazines appeared to have heeded the Jakarta Police warning
\nto stay off the streets yesterday, taking their cause to the
\nHouse of Representatives (DPR) instead.<\/p>\n
About 300 people, comprising journalists and activists,
\ndemonstrated in the House compound without being interrupted
\nwhile executives of two of the three magazines brought their case
\nto legislators.<\/p>\n
One of the groups that turned up at the DPR called itself the
\nGroup of the Voice of Women for Press Freedom. Some of its
\nmembers, who arrived wearing Moslem veils, distributed paper
\nflowers with messages deploring the press bans and the use of
\nforce by the police to quell demonstrations.<\/p>\n
The protesters also channeled their emotions through posters
\nwhich they laid out in the foyer.<\/p>\n
This went on under the watchful eyes of a handful of both
\nuniformed and plainclothes security officers who decided to let
\nthe protesters have their say.<\/p>\n
Jakarta Police Chief Maj. Gen. Moch. Hindarto on Tuesday
\nissued a stern warning that his forces would clamp down hard on
\nillegal street protests, pointing out that police had to use
\nforce on Monday against two demonstrations in Jakarta after the
\nprotesters ignored repeated orders to disperse.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile a group of prominent lawyers failed in their bid
\nyesterday to see the National Police Chief Gen. Banurusman
\nAstrosemitro or his deputy Maj. Gen. Koesparmono Irsan, to
\nprotest the clampdown.<\/p>\n
Todung Mulya Lubis, a leading human rights lawyer, said the
\nmeeting with Koesparmono was canceled at the last minute by the
\nlatter who said that he was busy with preparations for Police Day
\nwhich falls on July 1.<\/p>\n
Mulya had originally intended to be joined by other lawyers
\nincluding Harjono Tjitrosoebono, Luhut Pangaribuan and
\nNursyahbani Kertasungkana to protest the police's handling of the
\ndemonstrations in Jakarta on Monday.<\/p>\n
Equal treatment<\/p>\n
\"We wanted to appeal to the police to properly handle the
\ndemonstrations and give equal treatment to those who denounce the
\nmagazine bans and those who support it,\" Mulya said.<\/p>\n
The handling of the demonstrators has been widely questioned
\nwith some even suggesting that the police had handed the matter
\nover to the military to deal with the demonstrators.<\/p>\n
This was quickly denied by the National Police yesterday.<\/p>\n
Police chief spokesman Brig. Gen. I Ketut Ratta said the
\npolice remain in charge of handling street demonstrations.<\/p>\n
He said as one of the services of the Armed Forces however, it
\nis possible for the police force to cooperate with the other
\nservices, especially if a situation deteriorates.<\/p>\n
\"In that case, it is natural that police seek the cooperation
\nof the military,\" Ratta said as quoted by the Antara news agency.<\/p>\n
Witnesses recalled that some of the security forces wore T-
\nshirts with Operasi Bersih (Operation Cleansing) written across
\nthe front. This is a unit of the Jakarta Military Command which
\nwas set up in April to crack down on criminals.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) yesterday released
\na statement denouncing the use of force by security officials at
\nMonday's demonstrations.<\/p>\n
The foundation said it had evidence that the protesters' offer
\nto discuss their intentions with police was ignored. Instead
\nsecurity officers charged at the protesters with their rattan
\nsticks, injuring some of the protesters in the process.<\/p>\n
It also questioned Maj. Gen. Koesparmono's statement made on
\nJune 25 stating that police would not act against demonstrators
\nas long as they did not disrupt peace and order.<\/p>\n
Monday's demonstration had been peaceful until it was
\ndissolved by force, it said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, in the West Java city of Bandung, dozens of
\nstudents of Padjadjaran University held an open forum inside
\ntheir campus to denounce the violence used against demonstrators.<\/p>\n
Some 21 artists, including musicians, poets, painters,
\nmeanwhile announced that they would take turns fasting, beginning
\nyesterday, as a \"transcendental\" protest against the government's
\nban against the three magazines.<\/p>\n
\"Seeing the use of force being deployed recently, we don't
\nhave the courage to go to the streets anymore,\" said musician
\nHarry Roesli, who was the first to fast yesterday.(emb\/05\/pan\/hbk)<\/p>",
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