50 political prisoners to go free later this week

JAKARTA (JP): The government is to release 50 political prisoners this week, Minister of Justice Muladi said here yesterday.

"Fifty political prisoners will be released across Indonesia in one or two days," Muladi said before meeting the United Nations Special Envoy for East Timor Jamsheed Marker at his office in Kuningan, South Jakarta.

Muladi said last week that 90 political prisoners were being considered for release as part of the drive for greater democracy pledged by President B.J. Habibie.

He explained that the discrepancy in the figures did not mean the government was backing down on its commitment, but had arisen because it was later found that some prisoners initially included on the list did not meet the criteria for release.

Prisoners convicted of committing criminal offenses, involvement with the banned Indonesian Communist Party, or attempting to subvert the state ideology Pancasila are not eligible for payroll.

When asked if the jailed East Timorese rebel leader Jose Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao and pro-democracy activist Budiman Sudjatmiko were among those to be released later this week, Muladi said that "Xanana and Budiman are not among them."

The minister gave no other names or further details.

Pressure has been mounting here and abroad for the release of Xanana. He is currently serving a 20 year jail term for plotting against the state and the illegal possession of weapons.

The government has said that it would consider releasing Xanana, but only within the framework of a peaceful international solution to the problems in East Timor.

East Timor was a Portuguese colony until it was integrated into Indonesia in 1976. The United Nations still regards Lisbon as the administrating power in the territory.

Budiman, chairman of the outlawed People's Democratic Party, is serving a 13 year jail term handed down last year for undermining the state ideology and inciting students and workers to demonstrate against the government.

The government has pardoned 23 political prisoners since Habibie came to power in May after the fall of Soeharto. (byg)