Banyumas legislators on strike

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.