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)