84 to be prosecuted for Medan riots

84 to be prosecuted for Medan riots

MEDAN, North Sumatra (JP): The government plans to prosecute a
total of 84 people in connection with the April workers' riot
that left one businessman dead.

Officials disclosed yesterday however that not all of them are
workers, confirming earlier government suspicions that the riots,
which had their origins in labor protests, had been infiltrated.

Attorney General Singgih and Minister of Manpower Abdul Latief
joined a meeting of local government officials yesterday to
review the labor situation in the aftermath of the riots and the
government's plans to deal with those arrested.

The week-long riots at the end of April initially began as a
labor protest by some 20,000 workers from dozens of industrial
plants around the city's outskirts, pressing for hikes in their
salaries and for freedom to organize.

The protests turned riotous, with racial overtones, as the
protesters vented their anger at shops owned by Chinese-
Indonesians and ransacked factories which also mostly belonged to
the ethnic group. A Chinese businessman was killed when his car
was attacked by a mob.

Chief of the North Sumatra Prosecutors Office Martin Basiang
said in response to questions that so far his officers had not
been able to find any evidence that the protests or riots were
sponsored or masterminded by the Indonesian Prosperous Labor
Union (SBSI) as some military officials have suggested.

Investigation

SBSI is not recognized by the government. At least three of
its executives in Medan are among those currently under
investigation in connection with the riots.

Singgih told reporters that the three -- who were arrested
after two weeks in hiding since the riots -- will definitely be
prosecuted.

He said the government will take to court those who are guilty
of fanning the riots.

The meeting was also attended by Chief of the Bukit Barisan
Command Maj. Gen. A. Pranowo, Deputy Chief of the Provincial
Police Col. Adjiawan, Director General for Industrial Relations
and Labor Standards Suwarto and President of the state-owned
insurance company PT Astek Abdillah Nusi.

Martin said the prosecutors office has made 44 dossiers on the
84 suspects. They will be prosecuted in Medan, Lubuk Pakam,
Belawan and Pematang Siantar.

"Twenty-one dossiers have been sent to court while the rest
are still being processed," he said, adding that the charges will
range from battery, looting and vandalism.

Officials acknowledged that the riots had proven a valuable
lessons to them in dealing with labor issues in the future and
the meeting reviewed ways of preventing a similar incident from
occurring again.

Many officials and labor activists in the wake of the riots
blamed employers's failure to respect workers's basic rights as
the prime cause of the riots.

Latief called on all sides, especially the managements, to
learn from the incident. "All of us must learn from the incident,
and all sides must give attention to the fate of workers in the
province."

Local manpower officials had earlier said that since the
riots, virtually every manufacturing companies have hiked the
wages of their workers to the government set-minimum daily wage
and enlisted them to social security programs.

Latief said his office plans to tighten supervision of labor
law compliance in the region. "There are no excuses for not
respecting the workers' rights," he said.

He said that the riots, in retrospect, were a blessing in
disguise because now companies are complying with labor
regulations, including allowing workers to set up units of the
All Indonesian Workers Union (SPSI). (rms)