Police raid PDI conference, draw protest

JAKARTA (JP): Police raided a meeting on Saturday of the East Jakarta branch of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) they said was illegal, rounding up three local party executives.

The party leaders were released the same day. The raid provoked condemnation from PDI executives loyal to the democratically elected chief, Megawati Soekarnoputri.

The conference, organized by Megawati loyalists, was to list names the party branch would propose to represent them in the House of Representatives after next year's general election.

Megawati, a daughter of the late president Sukarno, was "ousted" in a congress last month by her political rivals, who received the government and military's backing.

Eyewitnesses said about 30 police officers arrived at about 10:30 a.m., as the East Jakarta party leaders were opening their conference by singing the national anthem, Indonesia Raya.

When the politicians refused to disperse immediately as ordered, they heard a warning shot and then complied with the officers' request.

Ester Sandina, the deputy secretary of PDI's East Jakarta branch, told The Jakarta Post that 70 police officers were seen outside PDI's East Jakarta office.

She reported that the branch's chairman, Tarmidi Suhardjo, treasurer Pantas Nainggolan, and an executive board member, Aziz Buang, were brought to the East Jakarta Police precinct.

Chief of the East Jakarta police precinct Lt. Col. Gories Mere insisted the three party leaders were only brought to his office for questioning.

"We exchanged ideas with them. We did not detain them. We asked them why they organized a conference without a permit from the police," Mere was quoted by Kompas as saying on Saturday.

The raid was the first since PDI branches all over Indonesia have conducted similar conferences to consolidate the party's leadership, as Megawati called for last month. South and North Jakarta PDI branches held their conferences on Friday without incident.

Strong criticism came from Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno, one of Megawati's deputy chiefs. He said he did not understand why a conference held in PDI's own office should have been raided.

"The conference is absolutely legal," Soetardjo told journalists. He also questioned why the police fired a gunshot, as if they were dispersing an illegal crowd.

He warned that the police's action could provoke people's anger, because the authorities protected last month's rebel congress and then forcibly dispersed the East Jakarta conference.

Commenting on Chief of the Supreme Advisory Board Sudomo's offer to mediate in the lingering conflict within PDI, Soetardjo said he would accept it if the government cancels its recognition of last month's rebel congress and its results.

The government-backed congress elected Soerjadi as the "new" PDI chairman. In addition, Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. and the military retracted their recognition of Megawati's leadership.

Yogie said last week that PDI's leadership under Megawati will be banned from taking part in the 1997 general election because it has lost its legality.

"The government has long wanted to shatter PDI to pieces," Soetardjo said.

Separately, Abdurrahman Wahid -- chief of the 30-million strong Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) -- reiterated his moral support for Megawati "as a close friend".

He insisted that his support for Megawati has nothing to do with the PDI or the NU. "It's personal support," he said.

Gus Dur, better-known as Abdurrahman Wahid, is one of the signatories of the July 1 petition expressing concern about the suppression of democracy and rising political violence, including the government's alleged meddling in PDI's internal affairs.

Other signatories included two former lieutenant generals and many political activists.

Gus Dur said that the signatories intended to remind the government that the public was concerned about the latest political developments, in which morality has been ignored.

"We hope that government officials are not offended by the petition. We only want to help them solve the problem," he said. (16/har/pan)

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