Jakarta Legal Aid Institute struggles with financial woes

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.