Students deny insulting head of state<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Five of the six students on trial here for
\ndefaming President Soeharto in an anti-government demonstration
\ntold the Central Jakarta District Court Saturday that they had no
\nintention of insulting the head of state.<\/p>\n
The defendants told the court that they came to the House of
\nRepresentatives (DPR) on Dec. 14, the day of the protest, after
\nbeing told of the event by their colleagues and promotional
\nleaflets. They contended that, at the time, they thought the
\nstudents would conduct a dialog with the DPR members on the so-
\ncalled security approach, now practiced by the authorities.<\/p>\n
The defendants said that the dialog never took place because
\nstudent representatives failed to meet DPR Speaker Wahono, which
\nstarted the demonstration involving more than 100 people in the
\nDPR compound.<\/p>\n
The defendants told the court that they agreed with the
\nprotest but denied the accusation that they had insulted the
\nPresident through displaying strong-worded posters and banners
\nduring the demonstration.<\/p>\n
They also complained about the beatings they endured at the
\nhands of military officers who arrested them at the site.<\/p>\n
\"We were there because we wanted to the DPR to urge the
\ngovernment to review its policy on the security approach,\" said
\nAnthony Leroy John Ratag, one of the defendants.<\/p>\n
The other defendant, M. Rifki, told the court that he came to
\nJakarta from Jombang, East Java, to express his dissatisfaction
\non land problems involving businessmen and local farmers in
\nseveral parts of the country.<\/p>\n
\"I am very sad because of this situation. I just wanted to
\nexpress my feelings at the DPR. My parents are farmers,\" said the
\ndefendant, fighting back tears.<\/p>\n
The students are among the 21 being tried at the same court on
\ncharges of defaming the President at the rally. They were
\narrested in the demonstration where they demanded the People's
\nConsultative Assembly hold an emergency session to bring Soeharto
\nto account for a number of clashes between the military and the
\ncivilians.<\/p>\n
According to the indictment, the criticisms incorporated in
\nthe posters and slogans used by the demonstrators amount to
\ndefamation of the President, a criminal act punishable up to six
\nyears in prison.<\/p>\n
Three proceedings<\/p>\n
Students are being tried in three proceedings. The two other
\ntrials have four and 11 defendants respectively.<\/p>\n
Mandri Sri Martiana, the only female defendant in the group of
\nsix, told the court that she came to Jakarta from Malang, East
\nJava, to cover the protest because she is one of the reporters in
\ncharge of her university periodical.<\/p>\n
\"I came to cover the event and I was arrested,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Mandri said that all she did during the demonstration was
\nobserve other students, but then found herself caught up with the
\ncrowd as they fled. The stampede was apparently started as the
\nmilitary started rounding up the students.<\/p>\n
\"One of the officers pulled my hair,\" she said.<\/p>\n
The session was adjourned until Thursday when the prosecutor
\nwill read his sentence demand.<\/p>\n
The two other trials will start today when legislators Sri
\nBintang Pamungkas and Sabam Sirait, and Ali Sadikin, a staunch
\ngovernment critic, will give their testimonies in favor of the
\ndefendants. (par)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/students-deny-insulting-head-of-state-1447898607",
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