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)