PPP chief protests at seizure of banners

PPP chief protests at seizure of banners

SURABAYA (JP): United Development Party (PPP) chief Ismail
Hasan Metareum yesterday denounced the seizure of party banners
during a street rally in Malang, 90 kilometers south of here, on
Sunday.

Scores of banner-waving PPP activists poured into the streets
in the cool town to celebrate the party's 23rd anniversary when
the incident happened.

"I regret the authorities' actions. They gave no acceptable
reason why they seized the banners," Ismail Hasan told The
Jakarta Post.

Eyewitnesses said dozens of police officers stopped the
activists, mostly youths, and forced them to give up their
banners.

Police said they feared the bamboo sticks on which the banners
were tied might be used to attack people in the event of the
rally turning violent.

"We did what they (police officers) asked us to do to avoid
any unwanted occurrences," a Malang PPP official said. He added
that some activists were infuriated but party officials managed
to calm them down.

Party sources in Malang said the incident was considered
closed, but it is unclear how things were settled.

The Sunday incident was just the latest in a series of police
bans on banner displays by PPP members. Recently, several city
administrations in Central Java banned posters which had been
displayed on the streets and which demanded a fair election in
1997.

The Moslem-oriented party was recently rocked by the news of
thousands of its members in West and East Java changing sides and
now supporting Golkar, the ruling political organization.

Ismail Hasan said he was aware of the treason but claimed that
the number was not as high as reported in the mass media.
(15/pan)