Activists briefly held for moeking politicians

Abu Hanifah, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Police briefly detained two activists for handing out cotton buds to legislators that they said never listened to the common people.

The cotton buds were slipped under the doors of rooms at Hotel Mulia near the Assembly premises, where most legislators taking part in the People's Consultative Assembly session stay.

They were held on charges of "disturbing" the lawmakers on duty.

Each cotton bud was put inside a small plastic wrapping labeled "Special cotton bud for Indonesian Assembly members". The other side of the wrapping read: "Huh, why do you never listen to the people's aspirations? So clean your ears before attending the session!"

The activists were identified as Pista Alisah and Yani Kristanti of the Coalition of NGOs. They also handed the earwax removers out to legislators at the upscale hotel.

The NGOs have been critical of the legislators' deliberations over the past week, especially on the constitutional amendment.

The pair were reported to the police by the hotel's security guards who secretly watched them on the 17th floor, their fellow activists said. No legislator was reported to have any objection to what the activists did.

They had managed to distribute the buds to 150 rooms when the hotel's security guards chased them into the elevator and confronted them.

The hotel's security guards handed them over to the police on duty who then rushed the women to the Jakarta City Police headquarters, ignoring activists' bitter protests.

Pista and Yani were released after being queried for about two hours. They were required to be available any time the police needed them for further questioning.

Smita Notosusanto, executive director of the Center of Electoral Reform (CETRO), condemned the police action, saying the police had no legal basis for the arrests since there was no complaint from the legislators.

"We had committed no crime. We have done this sort of campaign for three years and only now have we been arrested," said Smita at the Assembly building.

The incident forced the NGOs' to cancel a media briefing on their objections to the constitutional amendment that the Assembly is set to endorse.