13 arrested in Medan demonstration
13 arrested in Medan demonstration
JAKARTA (JP): Police in Jakarta have confirmed the arrest of
13 demonstrators in the North Sumatra capital city of Medan last
week for their involvement in anti-government rallies.
However, National Police Chief Spokesman Brig. Gen. I Ketut
Ratta could not confirm whether the 13 arrested were also linked
to the series of anti-Indonesia demonstrations in Germany during
President Soeharto's visit last month.
"We have not received any reports suggesting that they were
involved in the Dresden protest. Their case is now being handled
by the North Sumatra Police," Ratta was quoted by Antara as
saying. Dresden was the site of one of the fiercest anti-Soeharto
demonstrations that took place around Germany in April.
The news agency said 13 members of a local non-governmental
organization in Medan staged a demonstration on Thursday to
protest President Soeharto's remarks that portrayed the
perpetrators of the German demonstration as irrational.
The leader of the demonstration was identified as 31-year old
JBR, whom the police said provided assistance to the students who
recently staged a demonstration before the North Sumatra
Legislative Council.
"The demonstration in Medan turned into a procession of
slandering the head of state and that's the reason why the police
have arrested them," Ratta said.
He stressed that they were being investigated in connection
with the Medan protest and not with the protest rallies in
Dresden, as suggested by an earlier press report.
The latest arrests took place amidst an on-going police
investigation of the alleged involvement of a number of
Indonesians in the German protests.
Police have already questioned legislator Sri Bintang
Pamungkas, named by the military as one of five Indonesians
believed to have taken part or supported the demonstrations in
Germany.
Bintang, of the United Development Party (PPP) faction, has
denied the accusation. He acknowledged that he saw a
demonstration in Hannover at the time Soeharto was there, but his
presence there was out of curiosity and he did not take part in
the demonstration.
Bintang was in Germany for a series of speaking engagements at
around the same time as the President.
Two other Indonesians who, the military alleges, took part are
senior journalist Goenawan Mohamad and Yenni Rosa Damayanti, a
staunch student activist. Both have denied the accusations.
Police plan to send its officers to Germany to follow up on
the investigation.
Gen. Banurusman Astrosemitro, the chief of the National
Police, has ordered that the investigation be continued, Ratta
said. "This is the chief's order. Whoever was involved or
organized the demonstration against our head of state in Germany
will be prosecuted, no matter who they are." (emb)