Moslem students protest over Irian Jaya land row
Moslem students protest over Irian Jaya land row
JAKARTA (JP): Fifty Moslem students marched to the Supreme Court building yesterday, demanding the resignation of Chief Justice Soerjono over his controversial move in a land dispute in Irian Jaya.
The members of the Indonesian Moslem Students Association (HMI) demanded that Soerjono retract his recent letter which overturned the Supreme Court's verdict to award an Irian man Rp 18 billion (about US$8.3 million) in a land dispute with the local administration.
Soerjono said in his letter that the verdict could not be executed because the Irian Jaya governor is not a public legal body which has its own property.
"We demand that the chief justice reverse his decision stated in the letter," one of the students read from a statement. "We demand that the Jayapura District Court execute the ruling."
"We demand that the chief justice resign so that the law can be upheld," the student said. "All legal procedures should be conducted in a transparent manner in order not to confuse the public."
The students unfurled banners and posters containing strong criticism against Soerjono. "We are fed up ... we can't be fooled," said a poster.
Led by HMI chairman Umar Husein, a group of seven students were allowed inside the building, although they did not get to meet with Soerjono.
The delegation was met by the court's secretary-general Toton Suprapto, who repeated an earlier statement that the Supreme Court had the authority to supervise and monitor the activities of lower courts.
Toton also reiterated his suggestion that the plaintiff file another lawsuit, this time against the institutions rather than the individuals.
The students who waited outside sang patriotic songs and chanted Allahu Akbar (God is Great), before dispersing peacefully an hour later.
Chief Justice Soerjono has been widely criticized for sending a "personal" letter intervening in the execution of a Supreme Court ruling in a land dispute between the provincial government and Hanoch Hebe Ohee.
The Supreme Court had ruled in favor of Ohee and ordered the Irian Jaya governor and a number of the Irian Jaya government offices to pay Rp 18.6 billion for land appropriated from the Ongge and Hanoch sub-clans, which Ohee represented in his suit. (swe)