U.S. deplores arrests of students

U.S. deplores arrests of students

JAKARTA (JP): The United States deplores the arrest of 41
students who held a hunger strike at the compound of the
Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) last week to protest the
government's clamp down on the media.

"The United States deplores the arrests made on July 7 at the
Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation. Their detention while on the
Legal Aid Foundation's private grounds makes the actions of the
Indonesian authorities even more objectionable," the U.S. embassy
said in a statement, a copy of which was made available to The
Jakarta Post yesterday.

Forty one students grouped in the Students' Solidarity for
Democracy in Indonesia (SMID) were arrested by the police when
staging the strike to protest the closure of Tempo, DeTIK and
Editor magazines.

Among the detainees were Agus Jabo and Nando, who were among
those who helped to organize the strike.

The students were accused of taking part in a "boisterous
gathering" and fined Rp 2,000 each by the Central Jakarta
District Court. The students rejected the sentence and are
appealing.

The arrests were strongly criticized by the foundation which
described the government's actions as the greatest atrocity thus
far.

Earlier on June 27, security forces forcibly dispersed a
peaceful demonstration against the ban at the Monas Park, just
across the Information Ministry, arresting more than 30
protesters. A number of protesters were injured in a brief
scuffle with the security forces. Those detained were fined Rp
2,000 each by the court.

In a meeting with legislators from the Armed Forces (ABRI) and
the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) factions at the House of
Representatives (DPR) on Monday, the students pledged that the
crackdown on protests will not stop them from speaking out.

The U.S. embassy said that Washington continued to express
their concern to the Indonesian government over the arrests of
peaceful demonstrators and restrictions on freedom of press.

"We have encouraged the Indonesian government to lift the ban
on the three publications at the earliest possible date," the
statement said.

"The United States strongly supports freedom of the press
throughout the world and regrets instances, such as have occurred
recently in Indonesia, of such freedom being restricted," it
said. (par)