Theater group's lawsuit dismissed

Theater group's lawsuit dismissed

JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta State Administrative Court yesterday
turned down a lawsuit filed by the Indonesian Labor Theater Group
against a city official who banned the group from performing.

"The plaintiff's lawsuit can not be accepted because the
letter issued by the head of the city directorate of social and
political affairs is not a final decision," presiding Judge
Benyamin Mangkoedilaga said in his verdict, adding that only the
city police have the authority to issue a stage permit.

The theater group filed the lawsuit against Bagus Suharyono,
the head of the city directorate of social and political affairs,
whom they accuse of illegally slapping a ban on the performance
of their May 15 play at Taman Ismail Marzuki in Central Jakarta.

The group had planned to perform a play entitled Senandung
Terpuruk dari Balik Tembok Pabrik (Miserable Symphony from behind
the Factory Wall), which depicts the exploitation of Indonesian
workers, especially factory workers.

In his letter number 360/078.6, Bagus refused to issue a
letter of recommendation needed by the group to obtain a stage
permit from the city police. He also revoked letters of
recommendation from the city tourism office and the city office
of cultural affairs which had been obtained by the organizers to
stage the play.

Bagus claimed the play would spark social unrest and that the
word buruh (laborer), which dates back to the communist era and
has since given way to pekerja (worker), was unacceptable to the
New Order.

During yesterday's trial, Benyamin said that the
administrative court would ignore Bagus' reasons for banning the
play.

Benyamin added that Bagus did not have the authority to revoke
the letters of recommendation from the city's office of tourism
the office of cultural affairs. "The city directorate of social
and political affairs should have only submitted its
consideration to the city police. It is the city police who can
issue the permit or ban the play."

Members of the theater group began crying when the judge
finished reading the verdict.

The workers then reacted by unfurling a banner, singing and
reading poetry in front of the court and shouting: "We must
maintain worker solidarity. Give us freedom of expression."(29)