Workers to sue government for banning their play<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Workers plan to sue the city administration for
\nbanning their play last month mainly because the drama, about
\nexploitation of workers, used the word buruh (laborer) in its
\ndialog.<\/p>\n
The city administration refused to issue a permit for Teater
\nBuruh Indonesia (Indonesian Laborers' Theater) for fear that its
\nplay could spark social unrest.<\/p>\n
The theater's lawyers said they would soon file a law suit,
\nwith the state administrative court, against the city's director
\nof socio-political affairs, R. Bagus Suharyono.<\/p>\n
\"Suharyono, in his capacity as director of socio-political
\naffairs, has no authority to do this,\" lawyer Pardomuan
\nSimanjuntak told a press conference.<\/p>\n
In his letter addressed to theater members Suharyono said that
\nthe message contained in the drama could jeopardize the city's
\nstability.<\/p>\n
\"The government will issue the permit only if the play is
\nrenamed, the scenario changed, and players replaced,\" he said in
\nthe letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
The play, entitled Senandung Terpuruk dari Balik Tembok Pabrik
\n(Sad Songs from behind Factory Walls) describes the misery of
\nover-exploited, low-paid Indonesian workers.<\/p>\n
The National Commission on Human Rights has condemned the
\ngovernment's banning, saying that the action was in violation of
\nhuman rights.<\/p>\n
The lawyer also ridiculed the administration's rejection of
\nthe word buruh because the term is widely used in Indonesian
\nlabor laws.<\/p>\n
Simanjuntak said he could not understand why the government
\nconsiders it derogatory and associates it with communism simply
\nbecause the outlawed Indonesian Communist Party used it in the
\npast.<\/p>\n
He acknowledged that in the Indonesian language, buruh refers
\nto low-paid workers, but there is no reason to consider it
\nderogatory. (rms)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/workers-to-sue-government-for-banning-their-play-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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