Police defend `gathering permit'

Police defend `gathering permit'

JAKARTA (JP): National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. I Ketut
Ratta has defended police jurisdiction to issue the controversial
"permit for gathering" saying that it is for the sake of the
public itself.

"The need to apply for such a permit is not merely for
security reasons, but also to allow police to monitor the purpose
of a certain gathering," Ratta said.

Prior to the issuance of a permit police usually consider
whether a gathering could disturb the public order, Ratta said as
quoted by Antara.

"It is for the sake of the public itself," he bluntly said,
adding that Article 510 of the Criminal Code guarantees police
control over such permits, popularly known here as ijin
keramaian.

It is a common practice for the Indonesian people to apply for
an `ijin keramaian' before holding a gathering to be attended by
more than five people.

The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) conducted a
national campaign against the permit following a banned academic
seminar on Sept. 7.

Dozens of policemen stormed a meeting hall of a building in
South Jakarta, declaring that YLBHI had no permit to conduct the
land-problem seminar, and asked the participants to leave.

YLBHI later alleged that the government had manipulated
Article 510 to abuse the right to associate, listing hundreds of
seminars, meetings and even street protests which were disbanded
by police over the last 10 years.

Law suit

In a related development, City Police spokesman Lt. Col. A.
Latief Rabar said yesterday that police are ready to face a law
suit filed by YLBHI over the banned seminar.

Latief said that the South Jakarta police precinct is
preparing to fight the legal battle in the Administrative Court.

"The decision of the police precinct was correct based on
Article 510. YLBHI held a seminar without a permit," he said.

Rita Serena Kolibonso, a lawyer of the foundation, said
earlier that YLBHI had filed a lawsuit against the South Jakarta
police precinct.

YLBHI asked the court to order the police to issue a public
apology through three Indonesian newspapers for their actions and
to pay at least Rp 100 in restitution (5 U.S. cents).

Among the participants of the aborted seminar were members of
the House of Representatives (DPR), the National Commission on
Human Rights and activists of non-governmental organizations.

YLBHI said that the police precinct had violated the 1945
Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which
guarantee freedom of association and speech.

Sukardjo Adidjojo, another lawyer, said a 1959 law requires a
police permit to hold a public gathering, but that the law is
only applicable when the nation is in a state of emergency. "But
now we're not in a state of emergency," he said. (09)