Police challenge YLBHI over lawsuit
Police challenge YLBHI over lawsuit
JAKARTA (JP): Police announced on Saturday that they are
prepared to face a lawsuit filed by the Indonesian Legal Aid
Foundation (YLBHI), which accused police of having abused the
foundation's freedom to associate by abruptly breaking up its
seminar about land disputes early this month.
"We are ready to face the lawsuit. We also have our law
experts," said Lt. Col. Latief Rabar, a spokesman for City
Police spokesman.
Latief said that,"It's an opportunity for us to try our legal
system. It's not a matter of money, it's a matter of law".
The spokesman added that by law police are allowed to disperse
a seminar or other meeting which is considered illegal.
Rita Serena Kolibonso, a lawyer for the foundation, said over
the weekend that YLBHI had filed a lawsuit against the South
Jakarta police precinct, demanding that police issue a public
apology through three Indonesian newspapers for dispersing the
seminar members.
YLBHI, an ardent supporter of human rights, asked the court
handling the lawsuit to order the police to pay at least Rp 100
in restitution (5 U.S. cents).
"The plaintiff suffered through its inability to achieve the
objective of the seminar, the loss of credibility as an institute
which fights for the law and human rights," according to the
suit, a copy of which was distributed to the press.
The seminar on Sept. 7 was still in its first session when a
dozen of police officers stormed into the meeting hall at the
Ministry of Health office building in South Jakarta.
The head of the platoon then asked the participants to leave,
declaring that the meeting did not have police permission and was
therefore illegal.
The seminar was to feature prominent speakers such as Maria
Sumardjono, dean of the law school of the University of Gadjah
Mada, Bambang Wijayanto of YLBHI and Dr. Erman Radjagukguk of the
University of Indonesia.
Among the participants were members of the House of
Representatives (DPR), the National Commission on Human Rights
and activists from non-governmental organizations.
Rita said the police action went against the 1945 Constitution
and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantee
freedom of association and speech.
Sukardjo Adidjojo, another lawyer, said 1959 legislation
requires a police permit for public gathering but that the law
only applies when the nation is in a state of emergency. "And
we're not in a state of emergency." (09)