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 He said that if his license was revoked, thousands of his colleagues would return their own licenses, paralyzing the country's legal system.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)