PDI free speech forum goes ahead despite threat

PDI free speech forum goes ahead despite threat

JAKARTA (JP): Supporters of the overthrown leader of the
Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) yesterday went ahead with their
ongoing free speech forum in defiance of the military's threat to
soon ban it.

"We'll continue with our daily free speeches," Agung Imam
Sumanto, chief of the PDI security unit, told The Jakarta Post
yesterday.

PDI legislator Sabam Sirait and government critic S.K.
Trimurti yesterday went on the stage erected at the party's
headquarters on Jl. Diponegoro, Central Jakarta.

The legitimacy of the forum was debated by supporters of
ousted PDI leader Megawati Soekarnoputri who have gathered at the
headquarters for the past month to speak or hear speeches,
usually critical of the military and the government.

They waited for hours yesterday before party executives of
Megawati's camp eventually decided to allow speeches to
recommence.

Agung said he received a telephone call from the chief of the
Central Jakarta District Police Lt. Col. Abubakar Nataprawira
yesterday morning, asking that Megawati's faction quit the forum.

Abubakar, however, denied making such request. "I have not
received an order from my superiors to stop the free speech
forum. However, the order may be issued soon," he told Post.

Armed Forces (ABRI) Commander Gen. Feisal Tanjung said on
Monday that the military would soon ban the free speech forum as
public order had been disrupted and the gatherings had become
"unconstitutional".

The government and Armed Forces' interference in the internal
affairs of PDI was criticized by the National Commission on Human
Rights yesterday.

Speaking to visiting U.S. Secretary of State Warren
Christopher, a delegation of 11 commission members led by deputy
chairman Marzuki Darusman said "the government and ABRI have gone
too far".

Marzuki told the press after the meeting, arranged upon
request by the U.S. official, that they and Christopher had
discussed Indonesia's human rights record and a number of related
issues including press freedom, environmental, land and labor
disputes.

During the meeting, the commission told Christopher that it
had suggested that the opposing camps in PDI should sit together
and negotiate to end the protracted conflict between Megawati and
her rival Soerjadi.

Quoting Christopher, Marzuki said that the result of the
meeting would be reported to U.S. President Bill Clinton.
Christopher had also reportedly offered to help settle the
political dispute.

"Warren Christopher told us that he was very concerned with
the PDI conflict," commission member Charles Himawan said.

Chairman of the government-backed PDI central board Soerjadi
issued a decree on Saturday, establishing a new board of
executives of the West Java chapter of PDI.

The new board chairman is Idi Siswaya. He replaced Mochtar
Budiana, a Megawati loyalist, who was dismissed by Soerjadi
because he refused to accept the government-backed rebel congress
in Medan which elected Soerjadi.

Idi said the new board was part of the party's effort to find
solutions for a number of PDI chapters currently beset by their
own leadership crisis. The other "problem chapters" are East
Java, Bali and West Nusa Tenggara.

Separately, a Megawati's loyalist, Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno,
said in Semarang yesterday that a number of PDI chapters who
participated in the congress in Medan had retracted their support
for Soerjadi. Instead, they now pledged allegiance to Megawati.

The chapters were East Timor, Bali, West Nusa Tenggara,
Maluku, Riau, Lampung and Central Java. (imn/har/bsr/16/17)