U.S. envoys raises questions during Medan visit

MEDAN, North Sumatra (JP): U.S. Ambassador Robert L. Barry, who was in Medan yesterday, had questions about the recent workers' riots, his hosts said.

Barry met with the North Sumatra legislative assembly and the director of the Medan Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) and was quoted to have raised the issue of the riots during the two meetings.

"The American ambassador asked about the role of the legislative assembly (DPRD) in resolving the labor issue," said Najamuddin Nasution, chairman of the United Development Party faction, in explaining DPRD's meeting with Barry.

During the meeting, Speaker H. Mudyono elaborated the various steps taken to accommodate and satisfy the demands of the workers.

In the afternoon, Ambassador Barry lunched with Alamsyah Hamdani, the director of the Legal Aid Institute office Medan, during which the riots were also discussed.

"Robert Barry asked me about the recent labor demonstrations in Medan," Alamsyah said.

The United States, through its embassy in Jakarta, has consistently shown keen interest in the development of labor relations in the country.

It strongly criticized last year's police dispersal of the congress of the independent Indonesian Prosperous Labor Union (SBSI).

Relations between Washington and Jakarta have been tense on several occasions in the past few months due to persistent U.S. intrusion in Indonesia's labor issue.

One of the most severe threats Washington has made has been the suspension of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) if Indonesia fails to comply with demands for labor improvements.

A potential crisis was averted last February when the U.S. postponed making a decision by six months.

During his stay in Medan yesterday, Barry also met with Governor Raja Inal Siregar during the opening of the U.S.-Sumatra Business Forum. He denied that the issue of the demonstrations was brought-up during his talks with Raja Inal.

Barry said his presence here was for the business forum and not because of the labor unrest.

In Jakarta, Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and Security Soesilo Soedarman explained that the government would indict those responsible for the Medan riots. "We are still conducting a close and careful investigation on the matter," Soesilo said.(rmn/07)