Activists' trial postponed

JAKARTA (JP): Central Jakarta District Court adjourned Tuesday the trial of four activists charged with conducting an illegal demonstration on Jl. Thamrin on March 9 because of the absence of the activists' lawyers.

Presiding judge I.G.N. Putra apologized to the defendants -- Kuldip Singh, Widi Wahyu, Wandy Nicodemus Tuturoong and Farah Diba Agustine -- for delaying the opening of the trial.

"Please forgive me. It's not my intention to hinder the trial," Putra said when he opened the trial at 2:30 p.m.

Putra then adjourned the trial until today since the defendants refused to continue the hearing without the presence of their lawyers.

Trimedya Panjaitan, one of the students' lawyers, said the lawyers decided to leave the court because the panel of judges apparently did not take the trial seriously.

He said the lawyers arrived at the court at 10 a.m., but the court had not been called to order by 1 p.m.

"The judges were apparently offended by our comments that they were ignoring the growing reform movement and were still part of the old regime," Trimedya said.

He said the judges were also offended when parents of the activists sent a letter demanding that the trial be stopped. (jun)