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Jakarta Post

Labor unions throw support behind wage protesters

Take a stand: Lawyer and former Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) leader Bambang Widjojanto (left), rights activist and priest Sandyawan Sumardi (right) are among those who support the 26 protestors on trial at Central Jakarta District Court on Monday

The Jakarta Post
Jakarta
Tue, March 22, 2016

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Labor unions throw support behind wage protesters Take a stand: Lawyer and former Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) leader Bambang Widjojanto (left), rights activist and priest Sandyawan Sumardi (right) are among those who support the 26 protestors on trial at Central Jakarta District Court on Monday. Among the protesters are two lawyers Tigor Gempita Hutapea (second from left) and Obed Sakti Andre Dominika (second from right).(JP/DON) (KPK) leader Bambang Widjojanto (left), rights activist and priest Sandyawan Sumardi (right) are among those who support the 26 protestors on trial at Central Jakarta District Court on Monday. Among the protesters are two lawyers Tigor Gempita Hutapea (second from left) and Obed Sakti Andre Dominika (second from right).(JP/DON)

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span class="inline inline-center">Take a stand: Lawyer and former Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) leader Bambang Widjojanto (left), rights activist and priest Sandyawan Sumardi (right) are among those who support the 26 protestors on trial at Central Jakarta District Court on Monday. Among the protesters are two lawyers Tigor Gempita Hutapea (second from left) and Obed Sakti Andre Dominika (second from right).(JP/DON)

Hundreds of activists from six labor groups flocked to the Central Jakarta District Court on Monday to support 26 people standing trial after being arrested at a demonstration in October.

Members of the six organizations '€” the Confederation of Indonesian Workers Unions (KSPI), Indonesian Trade Union Confederation (KSPI), Indonesia United Workers Confederation (KPBI), Congress Alliance of Indonesian Labor Unions (KASBI), Indonesian Prosperity Trade Union (SBSI) and Indonesian Teachers Association (PGRI) '€” demanded the court halt the trial of the 26 people arrested after the rally staged in front of the State Palace to protest new remuneration regulations.

The groups, incorporated within the Indonesian Workers Movement (GBI), insist that the 23 labor activists, two lawyers and one university student were simply exercising their right to freedom of speech, and have called for the '€œunfair'€ trial to be abandoned.

KSPI head Said Iqba, calling the trial '€œmisguided'€, said that October'€™s demonstration had not been a criminal act, as rallies were permitted in the 1998 law on freedom of expression.

The GBI meanwhile said that freedom of expression was essential to democracy and that the voices of the oppressed would be silenced if the government restricted freedom of speech.

'€œThe detention [of protestors] was not necessary. Dispersing the crowds was enough,'€ said KSPI head Muhammad Rusdi.

KPBI spokesman Ilham Syah added that the arrest of protesters peacefully stating their case signalled a crisis for Indonesia'€™s democracy.

The workers who gathered on Monday wore black ribbons on their left arm as a symbol of mourning for the death of democracy.

Rusdi concurred with the sentiment, saying that workers would have to fight for their right to associate and be heard.

'€œThe government wants to silence the voices of the oppressed. At this trial, it is not just the 26 who are being tried '€” it'€™s the whole labor movement,'€ he warned.

Lawyers and staff from the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta) were also present, supporting their colleagues, Tigor Gempita Hutapea and Obed Sakti Andre Dominika, who were also arrested at the rally.

The institute closed for the day to attend the trial, providing a lawyer for each of the defendants.

During the trial, LBH Jakarta lawyers asked the panel of judges to discontinue the judicial process, insisting the prosecution of the 26 was unjust.

The panel of judges adjourned Monday'€™s hearing after finding that prosecutors had submitted incomplete documents, but rejected the demand to drop the case.

One of the 26 lawyers, Maruli Tua Rajagukguk, said that although the request had been rejected by the judge, he and his colleagues remained ready to fight the case.

'€œThis is the first time since the end of the New Order regime that lawyers have been arrested simply for doing their job, having violated no laws. This is intolerable,'€ he said.

Fellow lawyer Bambang Widjojanto said that he and the other lawyers had no choice but to respect the court'€™s decision, but would fight for the suspects'€™ right to a fair trial.

The wage protest at which the 26 were arrested saw workers from across Greater Jakarta demand the revocation of the then newly issued Government Regulation (PP) No. 78 of 2015, which stipulated that the calculation of minimum wage increases take into account the current fiscal year'€™s inflation and gross domestic product (GDP) growth rates. (wnd)
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