Sutiyoso allows speech at PDI Headquarters: witness

Sutiyoso allows speech at PDI Headquarters: witness

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The former secretary-general of the Indonesian Democratic Party
(PDI) testified on Thursday in the trial of five men charged
with involvement in the July 27, 1996, attack on the party's
Jakarta headquarters.

Alex Litaay told the Central Jakarta District Court that a
free speech forum at the party's headquarters had been approved
by Jakarta's then military commander, Sutiyoso.

The five defendants in the case, two military soldiers and
three civilians, are: Col. (ret) Budi Purnomo, Capt. Suharto,
Mochammad Tanjung, Jonathan Marpaung Panahatan and Rahimmi Ilyas.

"Sutiyoso asked us not to rally on the streets, and instead to
hold a free speech forum at the headquarters," Alex said.

He testified that Sutiyoso went so far as to offer to close
off Jl. Diponegoro, which ran in front of the headquarters, for
the forum.

"There was a gentleman's agreement between us and the
commander (Sutiyoso)," he said.

The forum was set up after PDI chairwoman Megawati
Soekarnoputri was ousted as leader of the party in a government-
backed congress that led to the election of Soerjadi as PDI
chairman.

Opposition and student leaders gave speeches at the forum
criticizing the government, before president Soeharto ordered the
security authorities to put a stop to it.

Backed by the military, hundreds of Soerjadi's supporters
attacked the headquarters. The violence spread through the area
and dozens of buildings were vandalized and set on fire.

Dozens of the party's supporters were reportedly killed or
went missing in the attack.

During the trial on Thursday, lawyers for the defendants said
Alex's testimony had no direct correlation to the charges against
their clients.

Meanwhile, prosecutor Bastian Harahap said it was not
necessary to summon Sutiyoso, who is now the governor of Jakarta,
to testify in the trial.

Presiding judge Rukmini adjourned the trial until next week.

Sutiyoso, along with a number of military and police officers
have been questioned over the July 27 attack. None of them have
been charged over the violence.

Megawati, who is now the country's President and chairwoman of
the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan),
recently backed Sutiyoso for a second term as governor.