Police arrest three during antigovt rally
Police arrest three during antigovt rally
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Police arrested three people on Sunday for allegedly provoking
violence during a rally at the State Palace against a decree on
land seizures.
About 400 people from several non-governmental organizations
took part in the rally, which was held to protest Presidential
Regulation No. 36/2005 on land acquisitions and Jakarta
Gubernatorial Decree No. 1222/2005 on land acquisition committees
in the province.
Antara reported the demonstration became heated at about 3
p.m. after a speaker at the rally told the crowd to close ranks
to prevent the police from dispersing them.
Officers then began to move in on the crowd and the two sides
began pushing each other. Officers took away three of the
demonstrators.
"Three of our friends were taken away. They are Syahrono from
Bojong, West Java, Kohar from Yogyakarta and Mul from the Urban
Poor Consortium," said rally coordinator Didik Rahmanto.
Didik said police insisted on dispersing the crowd, which
began gathering at 1 p.m., because rally coordinators failed to
notify the police beforehand of the demonstrations, as required
by the law on freedom of expression.
"We notified the police that we would hold a rally that would
last until 4 p.m.," Didik claimed, adding that many people in the
crowd were "roughed up" by the police during the clash.
Police officers, who refused to comment on the incident, also
impounded a car equipped with loudspeakers used during the
rally.
"These two regulations are evidence of how the government is
pushing through its own interests at the expense of people. They
will simply sweep away the few rights left to the poor and kill
any hope for a better future," said Didik.
During the rally, demonstrators wore clown masks and masks on
which was written "RI-1", referring to the President.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono issued Regulation No.
36/2005 on May 3, citing the need to obtain land for development
projects that are in the interest of the public, and to resolve
land-related conflicts that have stalled several infrastructure
projects.
The President has defended the policy and has promised the
regulation will not be used to evict people without properly
compensating them for their land.
The crowd expressed support for the House of Representatives,
which has asked both the President and Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso
to explain the regulations.
On June 7, the House gave the government two months to revise
several articles in the Presidential regulation, including on the
independence of land acquisition committees, the unilateral
settlement of land compensation and the definition of "public
interests".
The lawmakers also said the regulation could not be applied to
ongoing projects.