Banyumas legislators on strike
Agus Maryono, The Jakarta Post, Purwokerto
All 45 members of the Banyumas legislative council in Central Java went on strike on Monday in protest against a two-year jail term for the chairman of the council, Tri Waluyo Basuki, for his involvement in a land dispute.
The councillors refused to receive guests or other people wanting to express their complaints and grievances.
Also to mark their strike, the legislators covered the council building with a 60-meter black cloth.
Tri was sentenced to two months in jail by the Purwokerto District Court in 2000. The guilty verdict was later upheld by the Semarang High Court, but gave Tri a much heavier term of two years in prison.
The Supreme Court also turned down in April, 2002, Tri's appeal against his conviction. Last Saturday, Tri submitted a request for a presidential pardon through the Purwokerto district court.
He was found guilty of interfering with the Purwokerto court's case over a disputed 1,000-square meter plot of land located on Jl. Ahmad Yani, involving two families in the city, two years ago.
At the time, Tri came to the scene and told local court officials -- led by Suprowo -- to cancel their move to seize the land for the family that won the dispute.
His arrival there was blamed for the court's failure of the land execution and was a violation of the law.
Deputy speaker of the Purwokerto legislative council Ahmad Munchasir said the strike would likely continue until Tri's request for a presidential pardon was processed or accepted.
He and other legislators defended Tri's intervention in the land dispute, saying his arrival at the scene was to represent the council, not himself.
"Therefore, the court decision against him (Tri) was unfair and we supported his move to obstruct the justice system," Ahmad said without elaborating upon which law his conclusion was based.
Most of the striking councillors staged a sit-in protest at the council building, while some of them were reportedly "on working visits in villages".
Support for Tri also came from the Association of the Regency Legislative Councils (Adkasi) based in Central Java.
The support was stated in a letter signed by the Central Java Adkasi chairman Kumpul Sutrisno, who along with other association executives went to Purwokerto on Saturday, where they were greeted by around 1,000 protesters at the city square also reportedly sent there on Tri's behalf.
The council strike, however, drew strong criticism from several non-governmental organizations, including the Banyumas Arts Council (DKB), on Tuesday.
DKB Chairman Surya Esa said the striking legislators were being "too melodramatic" and "sniveling".
"It is the case of Tri Waluyo. Why do all those (councillors) go on strike? Haven't the people entrusted you to represent us, not him? Aren't you supposed to represent us who want justice?" Surya questioned in a protest at the council.
He and other DKB members were almost involved in a clash with some of the people sent there by Tri's forces became unhappy with such questions being posed.