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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