Activist gets three years in jail for inciting riot

MEDAN, North Sumatra (JP): Chairman of the outlawed Indonesian Prosperity Labor Union (SBSI) Muchtar Pakpahan was sentenced to three years imprisonment yesterday for inciting workers to demonstrate violently last April.

The Medan District Court found the 41-year old labor leader guilty for his role in the workers' riot which left one businessman dead and dozens of factories severely damaged.

Presiding Judge Victor Daulat Napitupulu said Muchtar helped organize the massive workers' strike which turned into a riot.

The verdict is one year shorter than that sought by government prosecutors. Muchtar immediately told the court that he would appeal to the High Court.

The defendant was not accompanied by his lawyers at the sentencing. They had walked out of the trial on Oct.24 in protest of the court's refusal to allow them to bring their expert witnesses to testify for the defendant.

Some of the lawyers, who come from the Legal Aid Foundation, were, however, present in the court room's public gallery yesterday.

The court agreed with the prosecutors' charges that Muchtar helped planned the workers' rallies to press demands for better wages.

He also organized the training of worker activists in Pematang Siantar, 130 kilometers south of Medan, for which each participant was given Rp 30,000 (US$13) in "transportation expenses", according to the prosecution.

The prosecutors also said that Muchtar sent Rp 600,000 monthly to the local chapter of SBSI to fund its activities.

SBSI was founded two years ago by labor activists. Its existence however has not been recognized by the government.

SBSI officials have acknowledged that they organized the massive labor demonstration last April but denied that they had incited the workers to commit violence.

Muchtar was under police custody in Semarang, Central Java, at the time of the riot to answer to another accusation of organizing an illegal meeting of SBSI. However it is known that he had visited Medan a number of times before the riot.

Several other officials from SBSI's local chapter in Medan have already been tried and found guilty of taking part in the riots. They are currently serving prison terms.(24/imn)