Jakarta Legal Aid Institute struggles with financial woes

M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Samani, a man in his late 40s, works as a night guard at the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta). He had always received his Rp 1 million salary on time, until three months ago when the institute's management told him that they had to cut his pay by 20 percent due to financial constraints.

To make ends meet, Samani has to moonlight as an ojek (motorcycle taxi) driver during the day.

Even when the LBH Jakarta paid him in full this month, he still continues to cruise the streets for passengers as he feels insecure with the possible salary cut in the future.

Samani told The Jakarta Post on Sunday that seven of his colleagues were asked to resign three months ago, also due to financial problems.

The night guard is one of the LBH Jakarta employees who has had to weather financial woes after a number of foreign donors stopped channeling funds to the entirely private, non- governmental organization, the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute Foundation (YLBHI), to which the LBH Jakarta is affiliated, in December 2001.

Analysts said that the foreign donors stopped the money because YLBHI co-founder Adnan Buyung Nasution was criticized by legal and human rights activists for his decision to defend military generals accused of their involvement in the 1999 atrocities in East Timor.

The financial constraints have forced YLBHI, which was once dubbed "the engine of democracy" during its heyday, to cut the funding for its 14 branches nationwide including LBH Jakarta.

Its 14 branches used to split a total budget of Rp 500 million (about US$60,000) per month for operational costs. At present, the foundation is only able to raise Rp 35 million per month that must be divided up for the branches.

In order to survive, the LBH Jakarta cut the salaries of directors by 50 percent and staff by 20 percent. As a result, many of its people resigned.

Currently, the LBH Jakarta has nine lawyers and six legal assistants to handle the bulk of legal problems from justice seekers.

Last year, the institute handled 1,338 cases, and this year, as of October, it has recorded over 1,000 cases.

LBH Jakarta director Uli Parulian Sihombing told the Post that the financial problems suffered by the institute have yet to subside.

"Negotiations with new foreign donors are still underway but it's still too premature to say if they will come through. Meanwhile, local donors have been contributing, although in relatively small numbers," he said.

Uli said that since September this year, the LBH Jakarta has so far collected Rp 15 million from local donors who channel their funds through Bank Mandiri Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM) branch with account number 123-00-0300674-1 and Rp 10 million from its constituents of blue collar workers, street vendors and other groups categorized as urban poor.

"The figures are far from adequate to cover our operational costs which reach Rp 25 million per month," Uli said.

Consequently, the LBH Jakarta will be more selective in dealing with cases.

"However, we strive to seek justice for marginalized people even if we won't get paid," he said.

Each person or group only needs to pay Rp 10,000 registration fee when they file for a lawsuit. Most of LBH's clients, not only in Jakarta, are low-income people.