Prosecution witnesses vindicate defendants

JAKARTA (JP): Prosecution witnesses in the subversion trials against labor leader Muchtar Pakpahan and nine activists of the Democratic People's Party gave favorable testimonies yesterday.

Judge Djadzuli who presided over Pakpahan's trial at the South Jakarta District Court began the session with questions aimed at linking the charges of undermining the government to the speeches and leaflets Pakpahan allegedly gave and helped produce between June and July 1996.

Djazuli first asked prosecutor Moekiat how the prosecution was going to prove its indictment of Pakpahan by presenting Ridwan; this line of questioning was later protested by the defense lawyers led by Adnan Buyung Nasution.

Moekiat said Ridwan, also the chairman of the unrecognized Indonesian People's Council, knew of Pakpahan's activities between June and July in Jakarta when he allegedly made several incriminating statements and insulted President Soeharto.

However, when Djadzuli questioned Ridwan about whether he could tell the court if such "rumors, offending, or abnormal statements...or those that caused stress" were made by the defendant, Ridwan said: "No."

Ridwan said he had never heard Pakpahan making the statements the judge alluded to.

One of Pakpahan's lawyers, Moh. Assegaf, objected to the judge's line of questioning, accusing him of raising "questions that could lead the witness to give his opinion".

Assegaf asked the court to proceed and give the prosecutor the chance to question the witness, suggesting the judge only needed to ask additional questions.

Djazuli first took the defense lawyer's rebuke silently, but later told Assegaf off saying the lawyer should "look it up again to see if the Criminal Code Procedures stipulate that the prosecutor should question the witness first".

The South Jakarta District Court separately heard yesterday the subversion trials of four PRD activists - Petrus Hariyanto, Ken Budha Kusumandaru, Victor Da Costa, and Ignatius Putut Arintoko.

The trials of PRD chairman Budiman Sudjatmiko and his colleagues -- Garda Sembiring, Yakobus Eko Kurniawan, Ignatius Damianus Pranowo, Suroso -- were heard at the Central Jakarta District Court, some 15 kilometers away.

The Central Jakarta District Court heard four witnesses against Budiman. One of them, who participated in a June 1996 labor strike reportedly organized by the PRD, testified yesterday that the activists' involvement actually had a positive effect.

"Our fight (for better welfare) was good," said Basir, one of the workers at the Kingston crayon company in Tangerang who took their grievances to the House of Representatives in June 1996.

Basir told the court he saw Budiman during the protest at the House. "There were activists from the PRD, PPBI and SMID. I saw Budiman inside..I vaguely remember his face," said Basir.

Basir recounted how at one stage in the workers' dispute with their employers, the PRD activists told them to refuse to negotiate unless they were all accepted by the company management. In addition, the PRD activists urged the workers to take their complaint to the Ministry of Manpower.

Following negotiations with the employers at the ministry, the workers had most of their demands met. "Now we even have an official labor union through which we can channel our aspirations. We had not demanded it then," said Basir. (08/36)