Minorities and justice

Minorities and justice

Recently I went to the trial of three, female, Sunday school
teachers in Indramayu, who were accused of trying to convert a
few Muslim children to Christianity. After taking my seat in the
courtroom, officials asked my Indonesian friend and me if we
would like to listen to the trial from a safe distance, maybe in
a back room.

The police knew trouble was coming and were concerned that as
a foreigner, I could become a target of aggression. As we had
just traveled three hours to view the trial, we did not really
like the idea of hiding in a back office. We thanked them
politely and stayed.

They then seated plain clothed police around us and we all
hoped for the best. It was difficult for me to believe that a
person, no matter what color or religion was not safe watching
proceedings in a court of law.

Around 25 friends and family of the accused had also taken
seats in the courtroom after being checked for weapons. They sat
peacefully awaiting the verdict. Soon I began to realize why the
police had been so concerned. Around 150 young men and their
leaders arrived at the courthouse. They were angry and chanting.

After shouting and calling for death for these women, they
proceeded to enter the courtroom and overwhelmed it. They were
not searched, but were allowed to push friends and family of the
accused out of their seats and were allowed to enter in such
numbers that they outnumbered everyone else, including the
police, by four to one.

As I sat there, with angry young men filling every corner of
the room, some wearing bandanas and covers over their faces, I
realized that the police, although well intentioned and very
helpful, had no hope of controlling such an angry mob. The police
had no weapons, no defense gear and were in as much danger as the
defendants and their supporters.

They were at risk of losing their lives if they tried to
defend the women, the judges or myself. We waited and hoped for
justice.

The women were found guilty and sentenced to three years'
imprisonment. It saddens me that I felt relief at this result;
relief because today these women would not die at the hands of
the mob; relief that I would not die at the same hands; relief,
that the young policemen who stood so bravely in the face of
fear, also would not die that day.

Intense sadness then filled me. Can justice be assured in the
face of such overwhelming intimidation?

KERRY PATERSON
Bekasi, West Java