Protesters demand release of more political prisoners

JAKARTA (JP): Around 50 students and youths calling themselves members of the Majelis Penyelamat Kedaulatan Rakyat (Rescuers of the People's Sovereignty) staged a demonstration in front of the Cipinang prison yesterday, urging the government to release more political prisoners as a token of national reconciliation.

"We urge the government to release not only those three political prisoners (Omar Dhani, Soebandrio, and Soegeng Soetarto) but also the others," the spokesman's group Eggi Sudjana said.

In a memorandum addressed to the President, the protesters stated that national reconciliation could be realized by granting amnesty and rehabilitation to the ex-political prisoners.

Groups whose opinions, political and economic attitudes and beliefs differ from those of the government should be granted their civic rights, which is guaranteed by Articles 28 and 33 of the Constitution, the statement said.

Article 28 of the Indonesian Constitution affirms the people's rights to gather, assemble and express opinion while Article 33 states that land, water and all the natural resources they contain shall be controlled by the State and used for the benefit of all.

National reconciliation is a way to uphold humanitarian values such as justice, civilization and piety, the memorandum said.

The demonstrators went to the Cipinang prison at eight in the morning carrying banners, with one saying "Where are the Moslem political prisoners? Release them."

Included in the memorandum was a list of 116 Moslem political prisoners who were apprehended in 1985. The prisoners listed were allegedly involved in incidents from 1985 to 1987, including the Tanjung Priok riots, the bombing of the privately owned bank BCA, the Komando Jihad activities and preaching.

Some prisoners on the list have been released, including AM Fatwa, HR Dharsono, Tony Ardie and Oesmany Al. Hamidy. Police and anti-riot troops were deployed to guard the prison.

The demonstrators are expected to return for the release of Dhani, Soebandrio and Soegeng Soetarto.

Former vice-prime minister Soebandrio, 80, former air force commander Omar Dhani, 71, and former intelligence chief Raden Soegeng Soetarto, 77, will end 29 years of imprisonment following a June 2 presidential pardon granted to them "on humanitarian grounds".

Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono summoned the political prisoner's wives to his office on July 28 to announce that their husbands would be freed after Aug. 15.

Soebandrio and Omar Dhani were sentenced to death by a military court in 1966 and their sentences commuted to life imprisonment in 1980. Soetarto's death sentence was commuted to life two years later. (01)