Day marked in constrasting fashion

Day marked in constrasting fashion

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The two presidential candidates due to contest the Sept. 20
election held two separate flag-raising ceremonies on Tuesday,
the day when millions of people across the country joined hands
to celebrate the nation's 59th anniversary of independence.

Megawati Soekarnoputri led the Independence Day flag-raising
ceremony with full pomp at the presidential palace, while her
rival, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, chose to hold a flag-raising
ceremony at his private residence in Cikeas, Bogor, West Java.

Wearing a white kebaya (traditional Javanese blouse), Megawati
presided over her last Independence Day ceremony before seeking a
full, five-year term in the Sept. 20 election.

The celebration was also enlivened by the Twilite Orchestra,
which accompanied a choir singing patriotic songs.

Many high-ranking officials, including Vice President Hamzah
Haz, People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Amien Rais, House of
Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung, Cabinet ministers and
legislators, attended the ceremony.

No former presidents were seen in the crowd, while the only
former vice president to attend the event was Try Soetrisno.

State Secretary/Cabinet Secretary Bambang Kesowo said all
former VIPs, including former ministers Susilo and Jusuf Kalla,
had been invited to the palace, but they did not confirm whether
they would attend.

Megawati also hosted a lunch for former independence fighters,
and later in the evening held a state reception at the palace.

Separately, Susilo invited his neighbors in Cikeas, Bogor, to
attend a flag-raising ceremony and Independence Day celebration
at his residence.

The flag-raising was followed by games traditionally held on
the day, including tug-of-war and climbing a greased tree trunk
to retrieve prizes.

While millions of people across the country thronged flag-
raising ceremonies, violence continued unabated in troubled
Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam province.

At least three suspected members of the Free Aceh Movement
(GAM) were killed in three separate skirmishes on Tuesday, with
government troops recovering one rifle from the rebels.

In Bandung, police declared a student, Dadan Yanuar, from
Bandung Law School Academy (STHB) a suspect for allegedly setting
ablaze a red-and-white flag during a happening art event held in
front of the western gate to the Gedung Sate on the eve of
Independence Day.

Celebrations in other troubled provinces, Papua and newly
established West Papua, proceeded peacefully.

Two incidents took place in Ambon where two flags belonging to
the separatist South Maluku Republic (RMS) were hoisted in Latta
and Halong Baru villages in Teluk Ambon Baguala regency. The two
were among hundreds of national red-and-white flags raised across
the town. After receiving a report from locals, police
immediately lowered the RMS flags.

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Remission-inmates-independence

JP/4/REMISSION

I box

Bombers, rebels, corruptors get sentence reductions

Free Aceh Movement (GAM) inmates, Bali bombers and former
president Soeharto's youngest son, Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra,
were among prisoners who had their jail sentences cut on the
country's 59th anniversary of Independence Day on Tuesday.

A total of 48,248 inmates at prisons across Indonesia received
sentence remission, with at least 4,947 freed on Tuesday.
Currently, a total of 57,056 inmates are held in prisons
throughout the country.

While some 900 GAM prisoners and more than half of 33
convicted of the 2002 Bali bombings received sentence reductions
of a maximum of only two months, Tommy was granted remission of
six months and 15 days. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison
for ordering the murder of a judge and for corruption.

Minister for Justice and Human Rights Minister Yusril Ihza
Mahendra said the sentence reduction for Tommy was calculated
from a total of four months of regular reduction and two-and-a-
half months extra as suggested by the warden at Nusa Kambangan
prison, where he is serving his sentence.

The leniency, which is traditionally granted by the government
on the country's annual Independence Day and on other holidays,
is not applicable to prisoners serving life sentences or on death
row.