YLBHI has another brush with the law<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI)
\nyesterday launched a strong protest after police broke up a
\nseminar on land conflicts it was organizing in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The seminar, which was to feature distinguished speakers from
\nthe legal profession, had barely begun when about a dozen police
\nofficers moved into the building and declared the gathering
\nillegal in the absence of any official permit.<\/p>\n
"The action to disperse the seminar goes against the law and
\nthe spirit and letter of the 1945 Constitution which guarantees
\nfreedom of association and speech," YLBHI said in a statement
\nlast night. The statement was signed by YLBHI Chairman Adnan
\nBuyung Nasution and Executive Director Mulyana Kusumah.<\/p>\n
According to an Antara dispatch, the police officers from the
\nSouth Jakarta precinct gave the seminar's participants four
\nminutes to leave the building. They left in an orderly manner.<\/p>\n
Participants included members of the House of Representatives
\n(DPR), the National Commission on Human Rights and activists of
\nnon-governmental organizations (NGOs).<\/p>\n
The seminar was to feature speakers such as Maria Sumardjono,
\ndean of the law school of the University of Gadjah Mada, Bambang
\nWijayanto of YLBHI and Dr. Erman Radjagukguk of the law school of
\nthe University of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Luhut Pangaribuan, Director of the Jakarta Legal Aid
\nInstitute, who moderated the seminar's first session, said the
\ngovernment had no authority to ban the seminar because besides
\nposing no threat to the national stability, such a meeting was
\nguaranteed by the constitution and the law.<\/p>\n
Harjono Tjitrosoebono, chairman of the Indonesian Bar
\nAssociation (Ikadin), also criticized the police action.<\/p>\n
"There is no law which authorizes the police or security
\nofficers to stop people from speaking in a seminar," he said.
\n"This is a state based on law. If the police do not obey the law,
\nwhat can we expect from them?" the senior lawyer asked.<\/p>\n
Trimoeljo D. Soerjadi, chairman of Ikadin's Surabaya chapter,
\ncriticized the police for being inconsistent in implementing its
\npolicy. "If Golkar (the ruling party) organizes a meeting, does
\nit have to apply for a permit? If it does not have the permit,
\nwill the police dismiss the meeting?" he asked. (rms\/sim)<\/p>",
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