Pakpahan defended in Jakarta

Fifty members of the student group PIJAR demonstrated in front of the Indonesian High Court on November 26 to protest the court's decision to reinstate the four-year sentence originally passed on labour advocate Muchtar Pakpahan.

Pakpahan was arrested in 1995 and sentenced to four years on charges on inciting workers to demonstrate in Medan, North Sumatra. He denied the charges. Following pressure from the US State Department, his sentence was shortened to nine months and he was released.

Pakpahan was arrested again on July 29 in the aftermath of the crackdown following the Suharto dictatorship's violent attack on the headquarters of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI). Pakpahan had been a strong supporter of Megawati Sukarnoputri and had spoken several times at the Democracy Forums that were held at the PDI headquarters during previous weeks.

Pakpahan is the only political figure being held who is not a member of the People's Democratic Party (PRD). At least 24 members of the PRD have been detained.

The protesters demanded that the latest High Court decision be withdrawn and that citizens be guaranteed their full rights under the law. They carried banners reading "Indonesia is a state based on law, not power", "Justice for all" and "The High Court's decisions reflect the arrogance of power".

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