Rights body blasts ban on workers' play

Rights body blasts ban on workers' play

JAKARTA (JP): The National Commission on Human Rights
criticized the government yesterday for banning a play by labor
activists this week on the pretext that it could threaten
stability.

Commission members Albert Hasibuan and Soegiri told the
activists, who filed a complaint to the rights body, that the
banning was regrettable because it was in violation of human
rights.

"The local government should have seen the play before judging
that it threatened national stability," said Hasibuan, who is
also a House member from the ruling Golkar party.

About 30 members of Teater Buruh Indonesia or Indonesian Labor
Theater demonstrated their frustration at the authorities'
refusal to permit them to perform the Sad Song from behind
Factory Walls.

The drama depicting the daily life of industrial workers was
to be performed by workers from several factories in and around
Jakarta at the Taman Ismail Marzuki on May 13 and 14.

"We carried out all the official procedures to get the permit,
yet our request was rejected," play coordinator Meliana Sihombing
told the commission members. "We were told we would get the
permit if we changed the content of the drama, which was not
possible" she added.

Rostymaline Munthe, the script writer of the drama, said the
government's refusal to issue a permit for the play was
questionable.

"We cannot understand the government's reasoning for banning
the performance. There is nothing in the drama that can disrupt
national stability," she said, adding that the drama disclosed
the real conditions of Indonesian workers.

She told the commission that the drama was a way of expressing
workers' grievances to the government.

"We are not allowed to hit the streets to fight for our
welfare, but we are not allowed to express our opinion through
drama either. So what should we do for our betterment?" she said.

She said that the labor theater was allowed to perform the
play on May 15 at the Galaxy Theater in Bogor, West Java.

Commission member Soegiri said the rights commission will find
out why the city government banned the performance.

Director of the City's Social and Political Affairs, whom the
workers said had played a major role in the banning, was not
available for comment.

However a staff member of the office, who asked for anonymity,
defended the government's policy, saying that judged by the
title, the drama could disturb stability.(imn)