Laborers' case adjourned

JAKARTA (JP): The hearing of a law suit filed by laborers against the city government was adjourned yesterday, with the judge saying that the plaintiff's dossier was imprecise.

Presiding judge Benjamin Mangkoedilaga said the session would be reopened after the plaintiff, Teater Buruh or the Laborers' Theater, revised its dossier.

"The plaintiff should pinpoint only one defendant, that is, either the head of the city directorate of social and political affairs or head of the city tourism agency," Benjamin said.

The theater group, whose members are workers from various building sites in and around Jakarta, filed the lawsuit against the head of the city directorate of social and political affairs and head of the city tourism agency for banning the performance of a play by the group last month.

The city government banned the play, which is concerned with the daily life of Indonesian workers, on the grounds that it could spark social unrest. It also argued that the world buruh (laborer) used in the dialogs was unacceptable because it had been used by the outlawed Indonesian Communist Party in its propaganda.

The theater group's lawyer, Pardomuan Simanjuntak, said he would amend the dossier as soon as possible. (29)