Bintang's lawyers face protests

Bintang's lawyers face protests

JAKARTA (JP): About 100 people staged a noisy demonstration
yesterday at the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) in
protest against the foundation's defense of a legislator accused
of insulting President Soeharto.

The protesters, from the Jakarta Youth Communication Forum,
unfurled banners and chanted slogans condemning the foundation
for defending legislator Sri Bintang Pamungkas.

Bintang has been under police investigation for his alleged
involvement in an anti-Indonesian government demonstration in
Germany during President Soeharto's visit there at the beginning
of this month.

Bintang, who belongs to the United Development Party, has been
questioned by the police as a witness to the demonstration amid
claims that he took part in the protest and helped to organize
it. Interrogation of the legislator has been temporarily
suspended as police seek a sound legal basis for continuing.

"Don't try to breach national unity. We will put our lives on
the line," one poster read. Other placards read: "YLBHI, don't
defend a traitor to the country", "Viva Indonesian Journalists'
Association (PWI)" and "Viva the Pancasila Press, remember
nationalism".

Hendardi, the Legal Aid Foundation's Director of Communication
and Special Programs, spoke to the protesters, urging them to
honor the principle of the presumption of innocence.

The demonstrators accused the foundation of being "unfair"
because it was defending someone who, they said, had discredited
his country abroad.

"I tried to tell them that they should respect the presumption
of innocence and that, like them, we also disliked traitors. I
also asked them not to mix up the concepts of nation, state and
government," Hendardi told journalists later.

Yesterday's protest was the third at the foundation in two
days. On Tuesday two groups of demonstrators from the Jakarta
Youth Forum and the Association of Irian Jaya Youths and Students
in Jakarta staged similar protests at the foundation's offices.

Yesterday's demonstration demanded that the foundation cease
its defense of Bintang.

Hendardi said he had "no problem" with the protests, but
regretted Bintang's subjection to "trial by the mob" and "trial
by the press."

"But what has really triggered these trials is a 'trial by the
government'. Government officials were the first ones to
disseminate the accusations among the public -- despite the lack
of evidence -- and they were the first ones to actually name
Bintang. Even President Soeharto didn't mention a specific name,"
he said. (pwn)