Ex-legislator quizzed in defamation case against the President
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Jakarta Police are investigating the alleged defamation of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice President Jusuf Kalla on July 18 by representational means.
The police on Monday questioned several people over the incident in which students at the launch of a book by former member of the House of Representatives Sri Bintang Pamungkas took down pictures of Susilo and Kalla, which had been hanging on the wall.
The book is titled Unveiling the Political Lies of SBY-JK.
Sri Bintang and his wife Ernalia were questioned for about two hours by police.
"The police wanted to know whether I was aware of the incident and whether I could identify the students who removed the pictures. I told them (the investigators) that I didn't remember who did that," he said after the questioning finished at about 12 p.m.
The book launch was held in a room at Wisma Antara, Central Jakarta, where the official pictures of Susilo and Kalla are displayed.
Sri Bintang said he was sure the police would name him a suspect for insulting the head of state as regulated in Articles 134 and 136 of the Criminal Code as well as inciting antigovernment sentiment as in the Code's Article 154.
"That's why I told the police that I would use my right not to answer their questions if they used the articles," he added.
He said the articles were merely the legacy of the Dutch colonial rule, aimed at quelling Indonesian freedom fighters.
"The Netherlands don't even use the articles anymore. (Former president) Soeharto and his New Order regime used the articles to shut critics up. And if SBY and JK use the articles, then they are merely an extension of the New Order regime," he said.
Over the past six month, six students have been sentenced to between five months' and three years' imprisonment for insulting the head of state.
On June 10, the Denpasar District Court sentenced Udayana University student I Wayan Suardana alias Gendo to six months' imprisonment for insulting the President during a rally in January against the fuel price increase.
Critics have called for the revocation of the controversial articles in the Criminal Code, saying they have restricted criticism and freedom of expression.
City police spokesman Sr. Comr. Tjiptono said the police could use any article in the Criminal Code, including articles 134, 136, and 154 as long as its application was legitimate.
"We are just law enforcers. We will apply the prevailing laws. If some people think a certain law is outdated then they should propose its revocation to lawmakers," he told The Jakarta Post.