By Max Lane
On April 28, the trial of Budiman Sujatmiko, People's Democratic Party (PRD) president, and eight other PRD members ended. Budiman was sentenced to 13 years' prison. Petrus Haryanto, 26, secretary general of the PRD, was sentenced to six years; Ignatius Damianus Pranowo, 26, secretary general of the Indonesian Centre for Labour Struggles (PPBI), nine years; Garda Sembiring, 27, Jakarta leader of Students in Solidarity with Democracy in Indonesia (SMID), 12 years; Yakobus Eko Kurniawan (Iwan), a PRD leader, eight years; Suroso, 23, SMID activist, seven years; Ken Budha Kusumandaru, 23, SMID activist, four years; Ignatius Putut Arintoko, 20, SMID activist, 1.5 years; Victor da Costa, 22, SMID activist, 1.5 years.
PPBI President Dita Sari was sentenced to six years' jail on April 21 along with Coen Hussein Pontoh from the National Peasants Union and Mohammed Sholeh from SMID, both getting four years.
Still facing kangaroo courts are Wilson, head of SPRIM (Indonesian People in Solidarity with the Maubere People); Astika Anom, head of the Education Section of PRD; the seriously ill Muchtar Pakpahan, chair of the Indonesian Prosperity Trade Union (SBSI); Sri Bintang Pamungkas, chair, United Democratic Party (PUDI); and Aberson Silalahi, a pro-Megawati Indonesian Democratic Party member of the outgoing parliament.
Budiman and the other PRD activists used the last session of the trial for protest action, while the regime used violence to disperse supporters waiting outside the court building. Following is a translation by Action in Solidarity with Indonesia and East Timor of eyewitness reports from Jakarta that have appeared on the internet.
THE DEFENDANTS arrived at 9.56am. As they arrived they shouted, "Long live democracy!", "Boycott the elections" and so on. They were locked in the holding cell inside the courthouse.
From the holding cell, they delivered short political speeches and sang democratic songs, including "We shall overcome". Security in the courthouse was "super tight". Police were on duty inside, and marines were stationed outside. Visitors to the court had their identity cards examined.
Shouting struggle slogans, the defendants were escorted into the courtroom under guard. They wore black head bands with the slogan "Democracy or death!". Garda Sembiring [a leader of SMID] wore a T-shirt with the slogan: "Boycott the elections". When asked if they had anything to say, they stated that they rejected the authority of the court. and left the courtroom.
The judges continued with only the prosecution present. Budiman and the other defendants had already dismissed their defence counsel. The defendants' parents were waiting for them near the door with flowers. In tears, the parents handed over the flowers and gave them expressions of moral support.
Because of the tight security, family and supporters had to elbow their way forward through the security in order to shake hands and show their support.
Back in the holding cell, the defendants were able to unfurl a small PRD flag and show the flowers that their parents had given them through a window.
About 40 PRD supporters gathered under the window to listen to the speeches. They continued this activity for 30 minutes. Then the military commander, surrounded by his men, came and ordered them to disperse.
This eyewitness then saw three people dragged off, while being beaten and kicked, shoved into a car and driven away.
Budiman was the last to be sentenced after the judges spent three and a half hours reading hundreds of pages of documents. The defendants said the sentences were meaningless and rejected the validity of the whole legal system. They said they would appeal so that the Indonesian people were able to continue to follow the course of their kangaroo courts.
At about 2.45pm, the activists were taken from the holding cell. Nearing the vehicle that was to transport them, Budiman leaped up onto the vehicle and began a speech stating that they would continue their struggle for democracy. The crowd greeted the speech with cries of "Long live Megawati!" and "Boycott the '97 elections!"
At this point, security grabbed Garda by the hair and forced him into the vehicle. Visitors who witnessed this shouted their protests.
Shortly after in a parking area, journalists were interviewing Budiman and Garda's mothers. Security people approached them and dragged them way, forbidding them from being interviewed. Budiman's mother was pushed up against a car. Garda and Iwan's mothers and other women protested against this. Other protested too but were pushed further away by the security forces.