Supreme Court drops activists' appeals

SURABAYA (JP): The Supreme Court has upheld a lower court's sentences on youth activists Dita Indahsari and Coen Husein Pontoh who were convicted of subversion earlier this year.

The Surabaya District Court spokesman, Ismed, said yesterday that the court had yet to receive the Supreme Court's official statement concerning the matter. His office was informed of the ruling through a telegram.

"The telegram states that Dita's and Pontoh's appeals have been rejected for a variety of reasons," Ismed said without elaborating.

The Surabaya district court sentenced Dita and Pontoh, members of organizations affiliated to the outlawed Democratic People's Party (PRD), to six and four years imprisonment respectively for instigating labor unrest and sowing public hatred against the government.

The High Court reduced Dita's sentence by a year and Pontoh's by six months.

The activists' lawyer, Trimoelja D. Soerjadi, told The Jakarta Post that he was not surprised by the Supreme Court's decision.

"In a political trial such as this, it seems that every outcome can always be predicted," he said.

The court said Dita and Pontoh had undertaken their campaign among workers last year. It allegedly peaked in a strike by 10,000 workers from 10 factories in the industrial area of Tandes near Surabaya on July 7 last year.

Another PRD activist, M. Soleh, was sentenced here separately to four years of imprisonment, also for subversion.

Five PRD leaders were sentenced in April by the Central Jakarta District Court to between seven and 13 years imprisonment.

Chairman Budiman Sudjatmiko received the stiffest term. The other four convicted activists are Garda Sembiring, Yakobus Eko kurniawan, Ignatius Damianus Pranowo and Suroso. (nur/10)