Witness for Sri Bintang

Witness for Sri Bintang

From Jayakarta

The case of Sri Bintang Pamungkas will go to court. I would like to contribute to the future trial of Sri Bintang. I was a journalist in the 1950s through 1960s -- in the early days of the New Order. Then I often traveled to western European countries such as the Netherlands, West Germany, Britain, France, and the United States.

I wonder why people only get one-sided information from the government through the media. Obviously, we wish also to get information from other sources, particularly from the officials in the President's entourage on their visit to Germany. What really happened in Dresden?

According to Ali Sadikin, it is unlikely that there are any Indonesian citizens wanting to sell out their country. The Bintang case should not be politicized, and I am of the opinion that Sri Bintang must not be made a scapegoat.

As we know Germany and the Netherlands practice liberal democracy, so demonstrations can be held freely. Fortunately, no Indonesian officials have ever been hit with rotten eggs during a state visit to foreign countries.

When I was in Amsterdam in 1970 together with some ulemas from East Java for the 1971 election campaigns, the building of the Indonesian embassy in The Hague and Ambassador Taswin's house were damaged and stoned. The ambassador, alarmed and terrified, escaped through the back-door.

If Sri Bintang was accused of speaking ill of Indonesia in his lectures, we must examine the matter thoroughly. I am prepared to act as a witness in his trial to explain what commonly practiced demonstrations in western countries are like.

HG MALIKMASS

Pamulang, Jakarta