Oposition growing to PRD charges

Oposition growing to PRD charges

JAKARTA (JP): The National Commission on Human Rights
yesterday joined the chorus opposed to the government's plan to
slap subversion charges on alleged instigators of the July 27
unrest.

"We are consistent in our stand that the subversion law should
not be used to prosecute criminals," commission deputy chairman
Marzuki Darusman said.

Some government officials have openly threatened to charge
Democratic People's Party (PRD) activists with subversion, the
most serious offense in Indonesia. It carries a maximum penalty
of death.

Prosecutors from the Attorney General's Office have formally
charged labor activist Muchtar Pakpahan with subversion but have
yet to explain his role in the July 27 riots.

"Our objection is that articles in the law are so elastic that
any crime can be categorized as 'subversive' if the authorities
wish to do so," Marzuki said.

The law passed in 1963 allows the detention of a suspect for
up to one year without trial. The commission and numerous pro-
democracy campaigners have demanded that the law be scrapped but
the government does not appear to be interested in reviewing it.

Marzuki said there are articles in the Criminal Code which are
appropriate to prosecute the PRD leaders and called on the
authorities not to rashly accuse them of planning a coup.

He said that even the East Timorese armed rebel leader Jose
Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao, who fought for an independent East
Timor, faced criminal and not subversion, charges.

The July 27 riots were triggered by the storming of the
Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) headquarters by supporters of
the government-backed rebel party leader Soerjadi. It had been
occupied by supporters of the democratically-elected Megawati
Soekarnoputri.

The government and the military have likened the PRD to the
outlawed Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), which was blamed for
the abortive 1965 coup d'etat.

In the latest wave of the crackdown on political activists,
the authorities in Bali reported they had arrested 28 people they
believed were PRD members.

Criticism of the way the government is handling the July 27
riots and their aftermath also came from Moslem scholar
Nurcholish Madjid.

He said that he was not sure whether Indonesian youths still
believed in communism as the PKI has been banned for three
decades.

He criticized the government of too hastily accusing
individuals or organizations of adopting communist-like tactics
to achieve their goals.

In Jakarta, Budiman's parents asked for assistance from the
Legal Aid Institute to determine their son's whereabouts.

"I am really worried about his welfare. I have read stories on
the mistreatment of detainees in the newspapers," Wartono Karyo
Utomo, Budiman's father, said.

Wartono said he had not received notice of Budiman arrest from
the authorities although an official had confirmed his son's
detention.

He added that he had no intention of filing a lawsuit against
the Armed Forces Chief of Sociopolitical Affairs Lt. Gen. Syarwan
Hamid, who has publicly accused him of being a former PKI member.

The parents failed to meet Budiman at the Attorney General's
Office.

A spokesman for the office, Pontas Pasaribu, assured Budiman's
family that Budiman is in good condition, although he said that
he did not know where Budiman is being detained.

Lawyer Ridarson Galingging said that there has been no warrant
for Budiman's arrest, despite the rule that warrants should be
issued when someone is arrested.

Meanwhile, the pre-court hearing on a lawsuit filed by Muchtar
Pakpahan at the South Jakarta District Court was adjourned until
Friday because the Attorney General's Office had not permitted
Muchtar to attend the court hearing.

Attorney Zainuddin Jahisa said that Muchtar was not allowed to
leave his detention house because of his status as a detainee.

Also yesterday, a delegation of five members of the
government-backed PDI Central Board went to the rights commission
secretariat to give their version of the July 27 invasion of the
party headquarters.

Buttu said his camp was not assisted by the military or
members of the ruling Golkar party's youth wing, Pemuda
Pancasila, as some people allege. (imn/16/14/22)

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