Drama will not cause any unrest: Playwright

JAKARTA (JP): An expert witness, testifying in a lawsuit filed by a theater group, dismissed as groundless yesterday earlier statements by the head of a city directorate that the performance of a play which the group had planned to perform could have sparked social unrest.

The Teater Buruh Indonesia (Indonesian Workers Theater Group) is suing Bagus Suharyono, head of the City Directorate of Social and Political Affairs, whom they accuse of banning their planned performance of a play in Jakarta last May.

In yesterday's trial session the group called two witnesses: Rosty Munthe, the playwright of Senandung Terpuruk dari Balik Tembok Pabrik (Miserable Symphony from behind the Factory Walls), the play at the center of the lawsuit, and Yopi Tambayong, better known as Remy Silado, a literary critic and actor.

Rosty said that Bagus' refusal to issue a letter of recommendation for the performance of the play on the ground that the play could spark social unrest was without factual foundation. "The group has performed the play twice previously in other places without any problem," she told presiding judge Benyamin Mangkoedilaga at the Jakarta State Administrative Court.

"There is no prohibition against the use of the word buruh (worker) because it is still being used in some provisions in our laws," she added, referring to Bagus' objection to the use of the word.

In his letter number 360/078.6, Bagus acknowledged that he had refused to issue the necessary letter of recommendation unless the organizers changed the name of the group as well as the title and the plot of the play. He also stated that letters of recommendation issued by the City Office of Cultural Affairs and the City Tourism Office were no longer valid.

Bagus reportedly said that his objection to the play's being performed was based on his view that it could spark social unrest and that the word buruh, used in some of the play's dialog as well as in the name of the group, was unacceptable because it had been used by the outlawed Indonesian Communist Party.

The play deals with the plight of highly exploited and poorly paid Indonesian workers, particularly those employed in factories.

Rosty, who is also an advisor to the group, said that she knew the organizers of the performance had applied for a permit to the relevant agencies. She said that the organizers had obtained letters of recommendation from the City Office of Cultural Affairs and the City Tourism Office.

The two letters of recommendation, together with one from the City Directorate of Social and Political Affairs, were required by the police before they would issue a permit.

"However, the City Directorate of Social and Political Affairs declined to issue such a recommendation letter and even revoked the letters of recommendation from the City Tourism Office and the City Office of Cultural Affairs," Rosty said.(29)