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)