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.