Protest over milk prices turns sour as 3 face court

JAKARTA (JP): Hundreds of people packed the public gallery at Central Jakarta District Court yesterday to watch the trial of three women who staged a peaceful protest last week over the rising price of milk.

Sympathizers for the three -- Karlina Leksono, 40, Gadis Arivia, 33, and Wilasih Noviana, 30 -- distributed dozens of packets of milk powder and flowers to court visitors. They also sang patriotic songs before presiding judge Endang Soemarsih commenced proceedings.

Endang said the women had been indicted for conducting a mass parade at the Hotel Indonesia roundabout in Central Jakarta on Feb. 23 without a permit from authorities.

She said the defendants, as stated in the police dossier, were charged under Article 510 of the Criminal Code which carries a maximum penalty of two weeks in jail or a maximum fine of Rp 2,250.

In response, the defendants said they did not understand the charges. They later admitted to have understood the accusations only after the judge asked them to deliver their statements of defense.

The defendants were accompanied by seven legal consultants led by noted lawyer Nursjahbani Katjasungkana.

Karlina, Indonesia's first female astronomer and a researcher at the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT), said that she still could not understand why a peaceful act could have resulted in the women's arrest and trial.

"I still can not understand why police officers grabbed me, pushed and load me into an open truck and transferred me to Jakarta Police Headquarters at high speed with a loud siren sounding, all because we prayed and sang," Karlina said in her defense statement.

The three women were arrested about 12:20 a.m. during the rally and were then questioned at police headquarters and released after 23 hours, she said.

Karlina quoted police investigators as saying that the women's protest about the soaring prices of milk products had a political motive.

"So, your Honor, I could not understand why I was accused of violating the article," Karlina, the leader of a group called Mothers' Concerned Voices, said.

Trial by tears

Some visitors burst into tears when Karlina read her statement, as they had prior to the trial when songs filled the courtroom.

The sympathizers sang several national songs, such as Ibu Pertiwi (My Homeland) and Padamu Negeri (For You, My Country).

While singing Ibu Kita Kartini, the crowd changed the lyrics to Ibu Kita Karlina (Karlina, Our Mother).

The two other defendants, Gadis, a lecturer at University of Indonesia, and Wilasih Noviana, a women's activist, also refuted the charge.

Gadis questioned the charge, saying that it was against the 1945 Constitution's Article 28 on freedom of expression and against the 1948 United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

"Does this trial respect human rights. It's not a matter of violation that we are being charged with," she said.

Wilasih also said that she was repeatedly questioned by police investigators to admit that the demonstration had a political motive.

"I just joined the action because I sympathized with the women protesting against the soaring prices," she said. "Is it disallowed in this country to do such a thing?"

Lawyer Nursjahbani rejected that her clients staged a mass parade without permission, saying that they were just expressing their opinion.

"The article is only used to punish people who express their opinion. It's ridiculous that we still use such an article which came from the Dutch colonial rulers."

She told the court that her clients had been intimidated and harassed by police officers during the interrogation at police headquarters.

They, for example, were harassed by the investigators, who inappropriately used the word susu (milk), which in Indonesian could also mean breasts.

Prosecutor Roskanedi did not reply to the statements made by the defendants and their lawyers.

"Your Honor, I will not reply as this is a short trial for a light crime," Roskanedi said.

Judge Endang adjourned the trial until Monday to reply to the statements. (jun)