Nine-year jail sought for activist

JAKARTA (JP): A prosecutor has demanded a nine-year jail sentence for Democratic People's Party (PRD) activist, I Gusti Agung Anom Astika, who is accused of undermining the state ideology Pancasila.

Prosecutor Jawadin Saragih told the South Jakarta District Court yesterday that Anom, the PRD's deputy chairman in charge of education, had been proven guilty of breaching Article 1 of the 1963 Subversion Law.

The prosecutor cited Anom's involvement in the unlawful party which had undermined the state by adopting social democracy and populism as its ideology instead of Pancasila. He also cited a book that PRD published, titled Menuju Demokrasi Multi-partai Kerakyatan (Towards a Multy-party, Populist Democracy), which he said discredited the government.

The book said the state had shackled people's participation in many spheres.

Jawadin said the defendant had incited workers and students in several places to demonstrate against the government, and used the protests as a PRD platform.

Anom had also undermined the government by calling for it to hold a referendum in the former Portuguese colony of East Timor, which is now Indonesia's 27th province, he said.

Anom and fellow activist Wilson bin Nurtias are the last PRD activists to go on trial. The other activists were sentenced in April to between 18 months and 13 years in jail.

The party's chairman, Budiman Sudjatmiko, was given the stiffest term of 13 years.

Jawadin said Anom had refused to listen to prosecution witnesses, and had not shown any remorse.

"On the contrary, during his trial sessions, he urged others to boycott the May 29 election."

He said Anom's only redeeming qualities were his youth and that he had no criminal record.

Anom was not accompanied by lawyers at yesterday's hearing. None of the PRD activists have been represented by lawyers since April when they declared their presence was pointless. The activists accused the courts of failing to follow trial procedures.

The hearing was adjourned until next Monday when Anom will give a defense statement. (05)