Legal associations rally behind Megawati's lawyers

Legal associations rally behind Megawati's lawyers

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian lawyers are rallying to support R.O.
Tambunan who has been accused of playing politics by being the
principal legal counsel of the ousted leader of the Indonesian
Democratic Party (PDI), Megawati Soekarnoputri.

Leaders and members of the Indonesian Bar Association
(Ikadin), Indonesian Advocate's Association (AAI) and the
Indonesian Justice Institute (LKI) yesterday protested a recent
call by legislators that the government revoke Tambunan's license
because of his political maneuvers.

The leaders of the bar associations told a press conference
that legislators Suparman Achmad and Ali Mursalam had spoken out
of turn and thus had offended Indonesian lawyers' esprit de corp.

Suparman, chairman of the Armed Forces (ABRI) faction at the
House of Representatives, and Ali of the ruling Golkar faction
called on Minister of Justice Oetojo Oesman to revoke Tambunan's
license, charging that his involvement in the case aggravated the
domestic political situation. They made the same call on the
Supreme Court.

Tambunan is leading a team of 3,000 lawyers across Indonesia
who are representing Megawati and her supporters in their various
legal battles.

Tambunan has ignored those calling for the revocation of his
license. He said that if his license was revoked, thousands of
his colleagues would return their own licenses, paralyzing the
country's legal system.

"We believe that what Tambunan is doing is still on a legal
track," Ikadin's chairman Harjono Tjitrosoebono said. He
dismissed speculation that Tambunan's activities aggravated the
country's politics.

He cited the lawsuit of Megawati and her sister Sukmawati
against Armed Forces (ABRI) Chief of Sociopolitical Affairs Lt.
Gen. Syarwan Hamid which concluded with an out of court
settlement: "That's one of Tambunan's successes."

Harjono, Hakim Simamora of AAI and Amin Arjoso of LKI agreed
that the legislators' call was inappropriate.

"The statements reflect the legislators' ignorance of the
legal profession," Aryoso said.

Media Indonesia daily reported last week that, instead of
heeding the legislators' call, Minister of Justice Oetojo Oesman
had said that Tambunan was only doing his job as a lawyer.

Hakim pointed out that there were no laws barring lawyers from
entering politics.

"It would certainly be difficult for a lawyer to defend his
clients in political cases, for instance in subversion cases, if
he did not understand politics," Aryoso said.

Tambunan and his colleagues established the Public Defender of
Indonesian Democracy group which has filed lawsuits against the
government and military officials who backed the PDI rebel
congress that ousted Megawati and elected her rival, Soerjadi.

Tambunan and his colleagues also represent some of Megawati's
supporters who are accused of assaulting people and damaging
property in Jakarta on July 27. (26)