Guards accuse DPR protesters of using profanity

JAKARTA (JP): Two House of Representatives (DPR) security guards testified in the Soeharto defamation trial on Saturday that profanity was used by the defendants at a protest against the current government.

The guards however told the Central Jakarta District Court that they were not sure if the words were intended to attack President Soeharto.

Sunarto also identified Adi Kurniawan, Yeni Rosa Damayanti, Hendrik Dikson Sirait and Masduki as having read poems, chanted and unfurled posters, all critical of the government, during the Dec. 14 demonstration.

"I have no idea of the meaning of the poems, posters and songs though," Sunarto told the panel of judges led by Soetrisno.

The four are among the 21 currently being tried on charges of defaming the head of state, an offense punishable by up to six years in prison. All participate in a House protest that demanded a People's Consultative Assembly special session to review President Soeharto's responsibility for a series of violent incidents involving the security forces and civilians.

Sunarto told the court that the students forced their way to the House without fulfilling the necessary procedures required of guests, leading the defendants to brand him a liar.

The defense said there were discrepancies between Sunarto's testimony and the statement he made previously to the police.

In court, the witness was not sure about the content of the poems but in his police statement he had told them that they insulted the President, the lawyers pointed out.

The prosecution continued to paint a picture of a group of defendants who crossed over the line between healthy criticism into the territory of a direct personal attack on the President.

Yeni and Hendrik told the court that the poems they read during the demonstration were penned by the noted poet W.S. Rendra, whose work has been read in public before.

The other guard, Aca Suharya, was also attacked by the defendants and their lawyers for contradicting previous statements made to the court and the police.

Aca said in the dossier he only remembered a few verses of the poems, but during cross-examinations he recited more verses.

Both witnesses were also criticized when they said that they did not see any military personnel in the House's compound during the demonstration.

"I see an obvious effort to conceal the military's involvement in the case," Yeni said.

The 21 defendants have been divided into three groups of four, six and 11 respectively according to what the prosecutors perceive as their degree of culpability. The hearings of the other two groups were held simultaneously at the same court on Saturday. (par)