YLBHI sues police for banning seminar
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) has filed a lawsuit against the South Jakarta Police for abruptly dispersing a seminar about land disputes which it organized early this month.
Rita Serena Kolibonso, a lawyer of the foundation, said the defendants also include the government and related government agencies involved in the decision to ban the seminar.
In the suit filed with the South Jakarta District Court on Thursday, the foundation demanded that the police issue a public apology through three Indonesian newspapers for their actions.
YLBHI said its good name had been tarnished by the police action.
The foundation also asked the court to order the police to pay at least Rp 100 in restitution (5 U.S. cents).
"The plaintiff suffered through its inability to achieve the objective of the seminar, the loss of credibility of its reputation as an institute which fights for the law and basic human rights in the eyes of seminar's participation... and the inability to conduct scientific research to renew the law," according to the suit, a copy of which was distributed to the press yesterday.
The seminar on Sep. 7 was still in its first session when a dozen police officers stormed into the meeting hall at the Ministry of Health office building in South Jakarta.
The head of the platoon then asked the participants to leave, declaring that the meeting did not have the police permission and was therefore illegal.
The seminar was to feature prominent speakers such as Maria Sumardjono, dean of the law school of the University of Gadjah Mada, Bambang Wijayanto of YLBHI and Dr. Erman Radjagukguk of the law school of the University of Indonesia.
Among the participants included members of the House of Representatives (DPR), the National Commission on Human Rights and activists of non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
Rita Serena Kolibonso said the police action went against the spirit and letter of the 1945 Constitution, which guarantees freedom of association and speech.
R. Dwiyanto Prihartono, one of YLBHI's legal counsels, said the police action was totally uncalled for. "There is no regulation stating that every seminar must have a police permit."
He recalled the police officers cited that their action was taken in the name of the law but they could not cite the piece legislation to which they were referring.
Sukardjo Adidjojo, a member of YLBHI's board of advisors, said a 1959 legislation requires police permit for public gathering but the law only applies when the nation is in a state of emergency. "But we're not in a state of emergency."(02)