Police threaten to close down Megawati's office

JAKARTA (JP): The police threatened yesterday to close down the headquarters of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) of the ousted Megawati Soekarnoputri, which opened only last week.

National Police Chief Lt. Gen. Dibyo Widodo said that it was only a matter of time before the authorities take action against the office, which is located in the Condet area, East Jakarta.

"We will move in when they (the PDI) use the office to disrupt public order," Dibyo told journalists.

Democratically elected party chief in 1993, Megawati lost her official recognition after being ousted by her rival, Soerjadi, in a government-backed rebel congress in June.

On July 27, she also lost the party headquarters in Central Jakarta to Soerjadi, who had found scores of supporters to forcibly take it over. The take-over triggered major riots in the capital.

Megawati is renting the Condet office from Erwin Pardede, a businessman who is a Golkar member.

The raid on the new headquarters seemed imminent after Minister of Home Affairs Minister Moch. Yogie S.M. said on Monday he would ask the security authorities to close it down.

City police chief Maj. Gen. Hamami Nata also said yesterday that the Condet area is earmarked for residential use and that an office was thus illegal there.

"The local subdistrict chief (lurah) has asked them to pack their bags and leave and we will see if they comply with this order," he said.

Separately, the Armed Forces Head of Sociopolitical Affairs, Lt. Gen. Syarwan Hamid dubbed Megawati's headquarters "illegal" because she has lost her legitimate chairmanship.

"The government only recognizes the PDI central executive board under Soerjadi. The government will not recognize the activities of Megawati and her followers," Syarwan said.

Meanwhile, officials from the Attorney General Office searched the office of H.J.C. Princen, one of Indonesian leading human rights activists, yesterday.

Princen told The Jakarta Post by telephone that nine officials searched the office of the Indonesian Front for the Defense of Human Rights and seized "a large number" of documents.

"They arrived at about 10 a.m. and searched my office until 5 p.m.," he said.

The authorities confiscated documents related to the activities of the Democratic People's Party (PRD), the Indonesian People's Council, the independent Prosperous Labor Union (SBSI) and the Independent Election Monitoring Committee. None of these organizations are recognized by the government.

The Attorney General Office has detained leader of the PRD Budiman Sudjatmiko, and head of the SBSI Muchtar Pakpahan, on subversion charges in connection with the July 27 riots.

Princen said the raid was illegal and added he would sue the attorney general office. (bsr/16/pan)