Govt rules out talks with SBSI about Medan riot

Govt rules out talks with SBSI about Medan riot

JAKARTA (JP): The government has refused any dialogue with the
Indonesian Prosperous Labor Union (SBSI) to end the labor
demonstrations and riots which have plagued the province of North
Sumatra since last week.

SBSI meanwhile has refused to take responsibility for the
riots although it acknowledged organizing the strikes.

Director General for Industrial Relations and Labor Standards
Suwarto said yesterday that a government partnership with the
SBSI to calm down the tension and mistrust between workers and
employers in the province is not in the cards.

"It is impossible for the government as well as the Armed
Forces to cooperate with SBSI because it is not a worker's
union," Suwarto told The Jakarta Post.

He said the government will continue to uphold the 1973 Labor
Declaration, making the All Indonesian Worker's Union (SPSI) the
only labor organization in the country.

Mastermind

Both the government and ABRI have accused the SBSI of
masterminding the rallies which led to the vandalism and race
riots that have taken a heavy toll on the province's stability.

The riots started with demonstrations last week demanding a
hike in the minimum wage from Rp 3,100 (US$1.4) to Rp 7,000.

The demonstrations reached their peak early last week when up
to 10,000 angry protesters spilled into the streets.

The ensuing riots left an ethnic Chinese businessman dead and
over a hundred shops, mostly belonging to ethnic Chinese, looted.

Suwarto said SBSI has to account for the violence.

"Both the Ministry of Manpower and ABRI have data indicating
individuals in the SBSI were directly involved in organizing the
protests in the provincial capital of Medan and surroundings and
those in Pematang Siantar," he said.

He charged they intimidated workers and employers into joining
the rallies.

Meanwhile Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas said
yesterday that Beijing, which has expressed concern over the
racial overtones to the protests, should not worry about
Jakarta's commitment or ability to resolve the matter.

"Don't forget, there are still a number of Chinese citizens
living in Indonesia...some of them might be in Medan," he
explained.

Denied

The SBSI chairman Mukhtar Pakpahan has continued to deny that
his organization had anything to do with the vandalism and race
riots, saying his organization does not resort to brutality.

According to Mukhtar, SBSI has been carrying out its mission
to improve workers' fate peacefully and condemns all forms of
violence.

He said the worker rallies have been used by certain
individuals or third parties to create chaos in the city and to
discredit the government.

Mukhtar also said he had sent a team to Medan to hand Amosi
Telaumbanua, chairman of the SBSI's chapter suspected of
masterminding the riots, over to the authorities.

"We took him to turn himself in to the police to prove whether
or not SBSI is involved in the riots," he said, adding that Amosi
went into hiding because he feared torture by local security
officers.

Supervisory

In another development Chief of the Armed Forces Gen. Feisal
Tanjung dismissed the allegations that ABRI fomented the violent
strikes.

"ABRI was not slow (in handling the strikes)," Feisal said
yesterday.

Earlier on Thursday Gen. A. Pranowo admitted that his command
was a little slow in intervening. He said that there were special
procedures to adhere to before he could step in.

Feisal said ABRI had confirmed that many former members of the
now defunct Indonesian Communist Party, PKI, were involved in the
riots. Their involvement, said Feisal, was obvious from the
manner they launched the strikes and from the way they
intimidated workers into committing vandalism and rioting.

"Their demands are not clear either," said Feisal.

He added that ABRI would investigate the case thoroughly
before arresting anyone, including any SBSI members.

"It's not easy to make an arrest. We have to follow
procedures," he said. (rmn/rms/07)