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)