Poll rigging exposers jailed

SEMARANG: Ungaran district court sentenced two students to two years in prison Monday for claiming to have exposed violations of the 1992 election rules by government officials.

Presiding judge Fransiskus Lopy said the students were guilty of sowing hatred against the government by circulating leaflets alleging officials had acted in favor of a Golkar contestant.

The defendants, Slamet Bibit and Fuad Chafidin, insisted they had done nothing wrong by publicizing election rules violations.

Among the violations they disclosed in the pamphlets was the banning of United Development Party and Indonesian Democratic Party symbols from public places. In some cases, they said, party activists were not allowed to attend election rallies without an adequate reason.

"I have always been prepared to be jailed. I also want to warn people that similar violations are possible in this year's election," Bibit said. (har)