Bali lawyers complain of intimidation, defamation

DENPASAR, Bali (JP): Forty-four lawyers calling themselves the "Team for the Defense of the Legal Profession" demonstrated outside the Bali legislative office yesterday, protesting against a campaign of defamation and intimidation directed at them.

"We're calling on the people's representatives to help defend the honor of lawyers because the right to legal counsel is not only our occupation but also the basic right of every citizen," the team's coordinator, Ida Bagus Rai, said.

The lawyers protested against slanderous remarks reportedly made about them during a rally by some villagers last month.

Residents of Pecatu village, Jimbaran, held the rally to express their support for the construction of a resort project owned by a company of Hutomo Mandala Putra, the youngest son of President Soeharto.

During the rally, the demonstrators carried posters and yelled slogans attacking lawyer Wayan Sudirta, who was representing families refusing to sell their land to the developer.

Some of the posters read: "Sudirta is a criminal in a lawyer's suit", "Hang Sudirta", and "Revoke Sudirta's license".

Some 34 families are still disputing the value of their land on which PT Bali Pecatu Graha intends to build the Bali Pecatu Indah Resort.

The lawyers yesterday said the defamation against Sudirta was unnecessary, and the residents supporting the project could have taken legal action if they thought Sudirta was breaking the law.

After meeting the lawyers, some members of the legislative council said the lawyers aspirations would be conveyed to government.

Sudirta said the defamatory remarks slandered him and his profession.

"I'm actually not against the project, but please respect my clients' rights." he said. "They were still thinking about appropriate prices to request, but all of a sudden their land was about to be bulldozed."

Because of the dispute, the 34 families are taking turns to guard their land against the possibility of forced eviction. (23/mds)