Jailed labor activist demands her release

Jailed labor activist demands her release

TANGERANG (JP): Ditasari, jailed for subversion at Tangerang
Women's Penitentiary, called for international organizations on
Monday to press the Indonesian government for her unconditional
release.

Indonesian Prosperous Labor Union secretary-general Sunarty,
who visited the activist, said Ditasari sent letters to the
International Labor Organization, Canadian Labor Union (CLC) and
the Philippine Labor Union (BATA) to ask for their help in
pressing the government for her release.

"She also urges the government to stop worker dismissals and
to respect the freedom of association among workers," Sunarty
quoted Ditasari as saying at the prison.

Ditasari, 26, who recently rejected an offer of clemency from
President B.J. Habibie, said she refused it because she did not
commit any violations.

The Surabaya District Court sentenced Ditasari to six years in
prison in April 1997, a month before Soeharto's resignation from
the presidency, because she was found guilty of defaming Soeharto
and his government when leading a workers demonstration in the
city.

She was moved from the Surabaya penitentiary to the Malang
jail in East Java last year before being transferred to the
Tangerang prison this year.

Chief of the union's women and child labor section Dian
Dalimunte said her organization would continue holding
demonstrations in Jakarta to urge Habibie's government to grant
Ditasari's unconditional release. (rms)