Leniency sought for vendors

JAKARTA (JP): Lawyers defending three sidewalk vendors made a last minute appeal to the Central Jakarta District Court yesterday to give as light sentences as possible to their clients for their role in a riot in January.

The team of lawyers from the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute said their clients had expressed remorse in court for their role in the riot at the Tanah Abang market in Central Jakarta, where a government building was razed.

The defendants -- Yafrizal, 24, Ade Komarudin, 24, and Ari Yanto, 18 -- admitted in court that they threw stones at the Tanah Abang district office building and damaged cars which were parked outside.

"The defendants are very sorry and promise they will never do those things again," one of the lawyers said in court yesterday.

Last week, state prosecutor Baskara demanded 18 months' imprisonment for the three, citing Article 170 of the Penal Code. The article states that anyone who jointly and deliberately uses force against others can be punished with up to five years and six months' imprisonment.

The lawyers argued that their clients could not be held solely responsible for the riot in which 300 other people were involved. They said the government should prosecute the others in the name of justice.

The lawyers said the riot was caused by vendors' anger at market security officers whom the vendors said were extorting money from them.

"The officers always asked for levies each day with the promise that they would let vendors do their job, but on Jan. 27 they broke their promise," lawyers said.

The trial was adjourned until July 23 for the verdict. (12)