Police break up activists meeting in North Jakarta
Police break up activists meeting in North Jakarta
JAKARTA (JP): Police broke up a meeting of activists at a
hotel in Ancol, North Jakarta, yesterday and arrested nine
people, including stage actress Ratna Sarumpaet who had
apparently coordinated the gathering.
Officers carrying firearms and clubs arrived at Putri Duyung
Cottage just as the meeting was about to begin.
North Jakarta Police chief Lt. Col. Rismawan, who led the
operation, stopped the meeting and ordered the 50 participants to
leave the compound.
Rismawan said the meeting was illegal as the organizers had
not asked for a police permit.
The organizers had billed the meeting as Kongres Indonesia
(Indonesian Congress) to discuss the economic crisis and the
steps needed to overcome it.
They said they had invited a number of prominent government
critics including Amien Rais, Megawati Soekarnoputri, Arbi Sanit,
Goenawan Muhamad and H.J.C. Princen.
Ratna later announced that the meeting had been canceled
because the hotel management had objected to the use of its
facilities.
But instead of dispersing the crowd, she gave a short speech
and invited participants to join in a rendition of the national
anthem Indonesia Raya followed by Padamu Negeri (To You My
Country). She then led a prayer.
Police later asked Ratna to follow them, and when she
resisted, she was taken by force.
A brief commotion broke out as Ratna's colleagues tried to
stop the police officers from taking the stage actress, witnesses
said.
She eventually succumbed but not before yelling "there's no
democracy here" as she was taken to a police car, witnesses said.
The other eight arrested were Ging Ginanjar (a freelance
journalist), Adi Hermawan (a participant from Lampung), Alexius
S. (a lawyer from the Association of Indonesian Legal Aid and
Human Rights Association or PBHI), Fathom Saulina (Ratna's
daughter), Bonar Tigor Naipospos (of the Indonesian Society for
Humanity), Aspar Paturisi (an artist), Wira Kusuma and Joel
Thaher.
Tri Agus Siswomiharjo from the Foundation of the Indonesian
Legal Aid Institute said at a media conference later that Ratna
had resisted arrest because the police could not produce a
warrant.
Ancol Dreamland is a public place and people do not need to
have a police permit to hold a meeting there, Agus said.
Several foreign journalists, who had been invited to cover the
meeting, as well as some foreign diplomats witnessed the bust.
Jakarta Police spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang said the nine
activists were being questioned at the Directorate of
Intelligence.
"They were arrested for holding an unlawful congress. They
have manipulated what they called a lunch meeting into a
congress," Aritonang said.
He charged the meeting organizers with staging a publicity
stunt by inviting foreign journalists to cover the incident.
"They staged the event in such a way as to give the impression
that even a lunch meeting is forbidden in Indonesia."
Friends of the nine arrested activists became concerned late
yesterday when the group remained incommunicado.
Executive director of PBHI Hendardi, who has been asked to
represent some of those arrested, said he had been barred from
meeting with his clients.
The activists were later transferred from North Jakarta
precinct to Jakarta Police Headquarters.
"They (the police) said we have to have power of attorney from
the activists in order to represent them. But then they would not
even allow us to meet them," Hendardi said.
Solidaritas Perempuan (Women's Solidarity), a vocal non-
governmental organization, criticized the police action.
In a statement, the group demanded the immediate release of
the nine activists.
Roy Pakpahan, a member of the organizing committee, said the
meeting would proceed one way or another, and the activists were
prepared to take the risk.
"This is for the people's sovereignty," he said. (emf/cst)