No third party involved in minibus drivers strike
No third party involved in minibus drivers strike
JAKARTA (JP): The National Commission on Human Rights said
yesterday that last week's transport strike, which paralyzed
traffic throughout the city, was a spontaneous action by minibus
drivers and not organized by criminal elements.
"Based on the police investigation and facts gathered in the
field, we can conclude that it is a spontaneous action," said
commission member Bambang Soeharto and Albert Hasibuan.
Hasibuan concurred with Bambang about the strike.
"No third party was involved in the strike," Hasibuan said.
The commission members said that police have released all 42
people who were detained in South Jakarta for allegedly provoking
the strike because they found no criminal ties which would have
allowed them to extend the detention of the strikers and/or bring
them into court.
"They were released before the legal 24-hour detention limit
expired," said Bambang Soeharto, a member of the 5-man
commission.
Bambang was referring to the Procedural Code which permits the
police to detain a person committing crime for questioning not
more than 24 hours.
Bambang, along with commission members Nurcholish Madjid,
Roekmini Koesoemo Astoeti, Djoko Soegianto and Albert Hasibuan,
visited Chief of the South Jakarta police precinct Lt. Col. Adang
Rismanto at his office yesterday.
Bambang said, however, that six other drivers who were
detained by Tangerang, West Java, police in connection with the
same protest will be tried in court on charges of provoking the
strike.
"The Tangerang police precinct confirmed a report about the
extension of the six's detention," he said.
Millions of Jakartans had to fight for transportation to reach
their work places and homes in the greater Jakarta area last
week, when drivers of some 5,000 minibuses staged a four-day
strike.
Although they are willing to go back to work, the minibus
drivers urged that the government lift the new traffic fines.
Under the new fine scale, drivers of private cars and public
buses can be fined between Rp 15,000 and Rp 50,000 for traffic
offenses, as compared to the present scale of Rp 10,000 to Rp
25,000.
Jaywalkers and drivers ignoring traffic signs can be fined Rp
10,000 while motorists caught without a driving license can be
fined between Rp 25,000 and Rp 150,000.
The increase in traffic fines is part of a major plan aimed at
reducing accidents and traffic violations.
Police had detained a number of drivers and a number of
unidentified individuals who joined the strike in South Jakarta.
Those in custody were being held on charges of breaking wind
shields or throwing stones at buses whose drivers refused to join
the protest.
Hasibuan said that the police had detained dozens of
protesters because they were investigating whether a third party
was behind the strike.
Thirty-four of 42 detainees are drivers, while the others are
common people who were caught for allegedly throwing stones at
the passing public buses on some streets in South Jakarta.
"Indeed, it's still legitimate to implement the conspiracy
theory," Hasibuan said.
Warning
In a meeting at his office yesterday, Jakarta Military
Commander Maj. Gen. AM Hendropriyono warned 25 driver
representatives not to give an opportunity for a third party who
intends to create disorder to join their protests in the future.
"Don't let a third party who wants to disrupt stability in the
city take advantage of your strike," Hendro said.
Hendro, as the two-star general likes to be called, added that
striking is not the best solution because it will create problem
not only for the public but also to the families of the drivers
themselves.
Hendro said that an increase in traffic fines is aimed at
reducing accidents and traffic violations, and that motorists do
not have to worry about being ticketed by police as long as they
obey traffic regulations. (09/has)