Military stymies labor union rally

JAKARTA (JP): The military foiled yesterday the Indonesian Prosperous Labor Union's (SBSI) plan to stage a demonstration at the House of Representatives.

About 100 heavily armed troopers were sent to the SBSI headquarters on Jl. Tebet Barat Dalam Raya in South Jakarta to block the path of 200 demonstrators who were planning to lead the protest.

The union leaders agreed not to force their way out and risk a clash but decided to stay in the area, creating a standoff with the military.

"Actually, we are not afraid of being shot at. We will probably disperse the crowd this evening but we will come back with a new strategy," Netty Saragih, the deputy chairperson of the union's legal aid department said yesterday.

SBSI called the demonstration to press its demand for the resignation of President B.J. Habibie and his replacement with a transitional president until a general election.

The union had originally hoped for a crowd of 2,000.

Over the last few days Jakarta Military Commander Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsuddin repeatedly warned that his forces would clamp down hard on labor protests that were politically motivated.

During the negotiations between SBSI leaders and South Jakarta district military chief Lt. Col. Ibrahim Saleh, the union promised that their demonstration would be peaceful and that the military could provide the necessary escort.

Ibrahim told them that he was under orders not to allow the protest to proceed.

He told reporters later that the union had not written to any of the House factions asking for a meeting.

"This is against the procedures," he said, adding that his troops would remain in the area until the crowd dispersed.

SBSI chairman Muchtar Pakpahan was not in town. His staff said he had left for towns in Central and East Java to consolidate the union's branches.

The gathering in Tebet did not disturb activities in the area with offices remaining open and street hawkers and food sellers flocking the area. A nearby McDonald's outlet was the only shop that closed.

Tohap Simanungkalit, chairman of SBSI's Jakarta chapter, told a media conference in the afternoon that the union would press ahead with its demand for a new government.

He defended the union's involvement in politics, saying that the current political system was to blame for the economic chaos that is hurting workers.

"Once the political system is strengthened, we can return to our original function as a workers' union," he said.

More than 300,000 of SBSI's 500,000 members have lost their jobs since the crisis began, Tohap said.

"How can they get money for food? Who can guarantee that the laid-off workers will not run riot and loot everything? Who can guarantee that they would not be provoked to do so?"

SBSI, he said, is campaigning for the convening of a special session of the People's Consultative Assembly to form a transitional government that is free of corruption, collusion and nepotism.

He also demanded that the government apologize to the victims of the political repression of former president Soeharto's government.

He cited injustices that occurred in various parts of the country during Soeharto's time in power.

The government should erect monuments at each of these places to honor and respect the victims, he said. (ivy)