Students queried over stickers

PURWOKERTO, Central Java: Four students have been questioned by police for producing and selling stickers calling for people to boycott the May 29 general election.

Ecep Suwardi Yasa and Chalid Mawardi of the "Walisongo" State Institute for Islamic Studies, and Abu Hassan and Ory Wulandari of Soedirman University were questioned by police investigator Capt. Abdul Djalal at Banyumas police precinct from Wednesday until yesterday.

The students were represented by lawyers from Yogyakarta, Teguh Purnomo and Sudi Subarkah.

Ecep and Abu reportedly designed and produced the stickers at Ecep's house, while the other two were present. One of the stickers read: "If workers' wages remain low, eviction persists, laws on politics are not revoked, go Golput!".

The term Golput (the acronym for Golongan Putih which literally means "white group") denotes those who either choose not to vote or who do but invalidate their ballot papers by punching for all three political contestants.

The stickers were selling from Rp 500 (US$ 21 cents) to Rp 1,500. The four students plus another friend, Indra, distributed the stickers. Some of the money they earned was used to buy a book entitled Anarki Kepatuhan (The Anarchy of Obedience) which they discussed among themselves.

The students argued the right not to vote was protected by law. "We have never heard an official statement allowing or forbidding people from choosing the Golput option," one of the students said. "We don't know whether we will have to face legal sanctions because we made the stickers."

The Yogyakarta Legal Aid Institute said the Banyumas police should handle the case wisely. "The police should be broadminded, and realize the government is not infallible," spokesman Budi Hartono said. (wah/swe)