Unrecognized union gathering dispersed<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Police broke up a year-end party organized by an
\nunrecognized labor union and arrested six people, a union
\nofficial said here yesterday.<\/p>\n
About 100 people, including members of the Indonesian
\nProsperous Labor Union (SBSI), workers and street singers,
\ngathered at the union's headquarters in South Jakarta Saturday to
\ncelebrate the New Year.<\/p>\n
But the party was quickly broken up by police and troops.<\/p>\n
Six people were detained overnight at the South Jakarta police
\nprecinct.<\/p>\n
When contacted by The Jakarta Post, police refused to comment
\non the arrests.<\/p>\n
\"Police arrested six union members, but we were released this
\nafternoon at 3 p.m.,\" Santoso, one of those detained, told the
\nPost yesterday.<\/p>\n
He said police confiscated musical instruments, ransacked the
\nheadquarters, and took away chairs and the guests' handbags.<\/p>\n
\"Police returned the musical instruments, but they kept the
\nunion's archives, posters, banners and Muchtar Pakpahan's music
\nrecords,\" Santoso said. He claimed that hundreds of thousands of
\nrupiah from one of the handbags was lost.<\/p>\n
Santoso said he had been told the gathering was broken up
\nbecause there was no permit to hold it.<\/p>\n
\"We are planning to go the National Commission on Human Rights
\nto protest this,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Saturday's celebrations were comprised mainly of musical and
\ntheatrical performances.<\/p>\n
In September, police dispersed SBSI's second congress and
\neight members and four foreigners -- two Dutch journalists and
\ntwo representatives of an Australian trade union -- were taken
\naway by police for questioning.<\/p>\n
The first SBSI congress was held in 1993 to establish the
\nunion.<\/p>\n
SBSI leader Muchtar Pakpahan is currently being tried for
\nsubversion.<\/p>\n
He is charged with allegedly making a series of antigovernment
\nspeeches which the prosecution claims sowed public hatred and
\nundermined the government's authority.<\/p>\n
Pakpahan is already serving a four year jail term having been
\nfound guilty of inciting a labor riot in Medan, North Sumatra, in
\n1994.<\/p>\n
The government does not recognize the SBSI and maintains that
\nthere is only one sanctioned labor association, the All-
\nIndonesian Workers Union. (10)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/unrecognized-union-gathering-dispersed-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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