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)