Dossiers on Bintang sent to prosecutors' office

Dossiers on Bintang sent to prosecutors' office

JAKARTA (JP): As police reached the final stages of their
efforts to bring Sri Bintang Pamungkas to court for allegedly
insulting President Soeharto, discussion of the possible
international ramifications has also intensified.

National Police Chief Gen. Banurusman told reporters yesterday
that the dossiers on the former legislator accused of
participating in the April 9 demonstration against Soeharto in
Dresden, Germany, were submitted to the Prosecutor's Office last
week.

"We have questioned more than 10 witnesses," Banurusman said.
He added that he would not question the witnesses of Bintang's
choice, saying that his decision was "not against Criminal Code
procedures".

At the House of Representatives yesterday, Deputy Speaker
Soerjadi and legislator Zamharir A.R. said that they would not
bring the case of Bintang's dismissal from the House to the
congress of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in September.

"If there are parties outside of the House, such as a non-
governmental organization, that wish to bring the case to the
attention of the IPU, then we can't prevent them," Soerjadi said.

"However, if it's the House members who take the case, then
it's not normal," he said.

Also yesterday, around 50 students marched to the office of
the National Commission on Human Rights protesting the police who
barred Bintang from speaking on the freedom of expression at a
seminar here Tuesday.

The students unfurled placards and banners which called for
freedom of speech and the abolition of a policy which stipulates
that people must obtain a police permit to speak in public.

Received by commission member Asmara Nababan, the students
complained that the disbanding of the seminar by security
personnel was an "arbitrary act".

Following the ban on Bintang, the other speakers scheduled to
address the event, including human rights lawyer Mulyana W.
Kusumah, decided to also leave the campus.

Over the past several months, Bintang has faced various
political setbacks. Earlier this year, he was dismissed by the
House faction of the Moslem-based United Development Party for
allegedly going against the party's policies and for offending a
number of cabinet ministers.

Shortly afterward, he was implicated in a series of anti-
Indonesian government demonstrations held during President
Soeharto's visit to Germany in April.

Bintang has repeatedly explained that he was in Germany to
attend a number of seminars.

A number of prominent human rights lawyers, including Adnan
Buyung Nasution, have lent their support to Bintang, who is known
for his outspokenness and criticism of government policies.

Bintang himself lodged a complaint in April with the National
Commission on Human Rights, protesting the travel and speaking
bans slapped on him by the authorities and the terror to which he
and his family members have been subjected.

One of the latest developments is the reported plan of the
United Nations sub-committee on human rights to discuss Bintang's
case in its meeting in Geneva later this month. (anr/05/swe)