Riot defendants denied rights, court told

Riot defendants denied rights, court told

JAKARTA (JP): The defendants at a court hearing from the July
27 riot said yesterday that police denied them their right to
have lawyers present when they were arrested and interrogated.

Defendant Susilo Muslim, 64, told the Central Jakarta District
Court that when he and fellow Megawati Soekarnoputri supporters,
were taken to the city police headquarters they were allowed to
have lawyers.

"When we reminded the police officers there of our right to
have one, they said it's too late, you have been here already.
Can you afford to pay a lawyer, and do you want a speedy process
or not?'"

Susilo, head of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) task
force and another 11 people are standing trial for taking part in
the July 27 riot and ignoring a police order to disperse.

One hundred and thirteen other supporters of the deposed PDI
chairwoman are also being tried. Megawati lost her post PDI
leadership after a government-back PDI congress in Medan elected
Soerjadi in June.

Megawati called her dismissal unlawful and the riot broke when
Soerjadi's supporters seized the headquarters from her
supporters.

According to the National Commission of Human Rights at least
five people were killed, 149 injured in the bloody clash and 23
are still missing.

Susilo told the court they were only allowed legal
representation after members of the Human Rights Commission
visited them in the police detention.

He said a police officer told commission members the
defendants did not want a lawyer present.

He said the defendants were not issued warrants until the day
after their arrest.

Susilo said they were treated like prisoners of war. "We were
ordered to take off our shirts and put our hands up".

He said the officers said their arrest was a formality and
they would be released soon. They are still being detained.

Meanwhile a defendant told another hearing of the July 27 case
that one of those arrested at the riot scene was immediately
released after he shouted he was not a Megawati loyalist but
recruited by a man called Tanjung.

Tanjung, according to a witness who testified in an earlier
session, was in charge of recruiting people to help Soerjadi take
over the PDI headquarters.

Meanwhile, the court yesterday continued the hearing of five
Megawati supporters who clashed with police near the Gambir
railway station in June.

Sophan Sophiaan, a House member from the PDI faction told the
court a group of PDI activists who opposed the Medan congress
were marching from the PDI headquarters on Jl. Diponegoro to the
National Monument area when security officers blocked their way
and herded them in another direction.

Sophan said he unsuccessfully tried to persuade the officers
to give way to the marchers.

He also tried to calm the PDI activists who were upset by the
police action.

However, Sophan said he told the marchers to remain calm but a
clash broke out behind him.

Reports said 52 people were arrested after the clash but 47
were released. (08)