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)