Release of political prisoners demanded

Release of political prisoners demanded

JAKARTA (JP): Just hours after the resignation of President
Soeharto, there were already strong calls for the new government
to release those incarcerated on "political" grounds.

Legal expert Loebby Lukman said here yesterday that the new
head of state should promptly grant amnesties and absolutions to
those currently imprisoned for political cases such as former
legislator Sri Bintang Pamungkas and labor leader Muchtar
Pakpahan.

"This is because the grounds used by the government should now
change along with the system," Loebby said.

The University of Indonesia lecturer was quoted by Antara as
saying that Bintang and Pakpahan were jailed during the Soeharto
era because they opposed policies at that time.

Now, according to Loebby, their struggle may very well be the
things that the new government is striving to achieve.

But, in the end, it all depends on President Habibie and
whether he wishes to continue the policies of the old regime,
Loebby remarked.

Separately, chairman of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation
(YLBHI) Bambang Widjojanto said the foundation would meet the
Ministry of Justice's director general for correctional
institutions to ask the latter to reconsider Bintang's
imprisonment.

He also argued that there was no longer any basis for keeping
Bintang in jail. He has been serving a 34-month term at Cipinang
Penitentiary since May 1996 after being found guilty of defaming
Soeharto during a seminar in Berlin in 1995.

Bintang, a controversial politician, was formerly a legislator
of the United Development Party (PPP) in the House of
Representatives from 1992. He was later recalled by the party for
being too outspoken.

Pakpahan, who is serving a four-year jail term for allegedly
inciting a mass labor riot in Medan, North Sumatra, in April
1994, is chairman of the Indonesian Prosperous Labor Union, which
was not recognized by Soeharto's government.

Pakpahan is also being tried for slandering Soeharto in
speeches shortly before the bloody July 27 incident in 1996.

The outspoken secretary-general of the Association of
Indonesian Moslem Intellectuals (ICMI), Adi Sasono, also charged
yesterday that political prisoners should be released.

Bintang's wife, Ernalia, was optimistic that her husband and
Pakpahan would soon be released.

Ernalia said she had been informed by someone that influential
Moslem scholar Amien Rais had also said that they would be
released. No officials could be reached to confirm the claim.
(ivy/aan)