Labor activists charged with libel

JAKARTA (JP): Two employees of Bank Panin have been sent to the Central Jakarta District Court on charges of defaming the bank's assistant director for supervision.

The defendants, Imam Sutrisno and Tata Zoelkarnaen, both executives of the Bank Panin Labor Union (SPBP) in Jakarta, have been accused of defaming Akijat Lukito. This relates to his alleged intimidation of seven members of the Cirebon, West Java, chapter of SPBP, forcing them to leave the union.

"The defendants had written a complaint letter and sent the copies to, among others: all SPBP chapters, Bank Panin chapters, the UN International Labor Organization, the National Commission for Human Rights, Bank Indonesia and the Minister of Manpower," prosecutor R. Sitanggang told the court on Monday.

In the letter dated Oct. 11, 2000, Sitanggang said, the defendants asked Akijat to make a written apology to SPBP within three days. If he failed to do so they threatened to file a complaint with the police or other institutions for violating Article 28 of 2000 Constitution which stipulates the freedom to build or join a workers union.

As a result, Akijat reported them to the police on libel charges.

The hearing will resume on May 8 to hear the defendants' objection.(bby)