Labor activist Dita released from prison

TANGERANG (JP): Jailed labor activist Dita Indah Sari of the Democratic People's Party (PRD) left the women's penitentiary here on Monday after spending two years in prison.

The release of Dita, 25, who was sentenced in July 1997 to five years imprisonment under the controversial 1963 Subversion Law, was part of an amnesty granted by President B.J. Habibie in presidential decree number 68 issued on July 2, 1999.

A few steps outside the prison, Dita announced: "My freedom is not the mercy of the government, but a pure political measure."

According to her, Habibie's administration was facing mounting criticism from the public, and her release was simply part of the government's efforts to increase its popularity.

Dita, also chairwoman of the Center for Indonesian Workers Struggle, was arrested along with other labor activists in July 1996 for organizing two rallies involving some 10,000 workers from 10 factories in the Tandes industrial estate in southern Surabaya, East Java.

The rallies, which called for the minimum wage in Surabaya to be raised from Rp 5,200 to Rp 7,000 per day, ended violently after the military moved in to disperse protesters.

Dita was given a five-year sentence by the Surabaya District Court in 1997 and was soon transferred to the capital.

She was found guilty of attempting to subvert the state and topple the government through her activities in Jakarta, Surabaya and other cities.

Dita left the penitentiary on Monday at 12:30 p.m., accompanied by her father Adjidar Ascha and colleagues from local and international non-governmental organizations.

To mom's grave

The fifth of six children, Dita is the only member of her family who became involved in politics.

Her mother passed away in Jakarta while Dita was being held in prison in Surabaya, and she was not allowed to attend her mother's funeral.

"I want to go to my mother's grave," she said about her plans.

She said she would then concentrate her energies on the labor struggle, adding that she had already established a national labor front which was the seed for an Indonesian labor organization.

"This (national labor front) is a transitional organization prior to the establishment of a national labor organization," she said.

Leaving the penitentiary in a Honda Civic sedan, Dita headed to Menteng Pulo cemetery in Central Jakarta.

Her release caught many off guard because the government had given no prior signals of a possible amnesty for her.

Minister of Manpower Fahmi Idris visited Dita last Monday and held a closed-door meeting with her, but did not say anything about the possibility of her being released.

Dita quoted Fahmi as saying at the time that the idea of releasing her sparked arguments among government officials.

Dita said it was most likely the Indonesian Military which did not want to see her freed.

"If I'm released, they fear fresh labor rallies which, they think, would threaten national stability," she said last week.

Dita said her freedom was a gift from God. She also thanked the endless support of her fellow labor activists.

Dita also urged Habibie to release imprisoned activist Budiman Sudjatmiko and East Timorese proindependence leader Alexander "Xanana" Gusmao.(41/emf)