Ratna denies being caught re-handed

Ratna denies being caught re-handed

JAKARTA (JP): Stage actress Ratna Sarumpaet and five others
who filed a lawsuit for wrongful arrest challenged police claims
yesterday that they were caught red-handed holding an illegal
political meeting on Feb. 10.

In a statement delivered to North Jakarta District Court, the
six said the meeting had been canceled at the request of the
hotel's proprietor.

The plaintiffs, Ratna, her daughter Fathom Saulina, reporter
Ging Ginanjar, lawyer Alexius Surya Tjahaya Tomu and activists
Nandang Wirakusumah and Jul Taher said the meeting was canceled
on their own initiative, not under police instruction.

They are suing North Jakarta Police chief Lt. Col. Rismawan
and City Police chief Maj. Gen. Hamami Nata for illegal arrest
and detention.

All the plaintiffs, with the exception of Fathom, arrived in
court at 7 a.m. Their lawyers arrived late at 10 a.m, to the ire
of Soeparto, Pandapotan Sinaga and Ismail L, the three judges
presiding over the case. The trial opened at 10:30 a.m.

The six who have brought the action are among nine people
arrested for holding what they called the Indonesian People's
Summit in Putri Duyung Cottage, Ancol.

Ratna told the court and packed public gallery that she had
not been caught red-handed because the North Jakarta Police Chief
and his officers were in the cottage for a number of hours before
the arrests were made.

Ratna, who is a noted playwright, coordinated the gathering
that was to feature Arbi Sanit and Amien Rais, both famous
political observers, as guest speakers.

"Police did not stop the meeting. I myself canceled it because
the hotel management asked me to do so. It is not true that I was
caught red-handed during the meeting because the meeting never
happened," she said.

She claimed that she apologized to the guests for the
cancellation, asked them to sing the national anthem Indonesia
Raya and then pray.

"Why are offering an apology, singing and praying considered a
crime," said Ratna, whose play about a dead workers' rights
activist, Marsinah Menggugat (Marsinah Protests), was banned in
several cities.

Ging, a reporter for Australia's Special Broadcasting System
Radio Indonesia section, said that he was on an assignment to
interview Ratna at the time of his arrest.

"The arrest violated the Press Law because I was doing my job
as a reporter," he said.

The plaintiffs also disagreed with a police assertion that
they had refused to sign detention warrants which had been
obtained less than 24 hours after the arrest.

"We refused to sign the detention warrants because they were
obtained more than 24 hours after the arrest," Ratna said.

Ratna, play director at Satu Merah Panggung theater, said the
North Jakarta Police chief and the city police chief were
attempting to distance themselves from the action by saying the
police worked under the command line. The President is the
supreme commander of the Armed Forces, which includes the police
force.

"The police chiefs have tried to shift the responsibility on
to their superiors, but they cannot evade their responsibility
because the country upholds the supremacy of Law which is not
based on command," she said.

Ratna added that if the police officers' claims proved true
she would instigate legal proceedings against the President, the
Armed Forces commander and the National Police chief.

Police have charged the plaintiffs under Article 5 of Law
5/1963 on politically related activities.

The plaintiffs said the article was valid only under president
Sukarno's Old Order government. The article forbids political
activities that could undermine the constitution and promote
revolution.

The judges adjourned the hearings until today, pending a reply
from police lawyers' and to examine evidence. (jun)