Jakarta – Because the police were not informed, a one-day seminar with the theme of Direct, general, free, secret, honest and fair general elections, failed to materialize. The organizing committee itself disbanded the program, which was taking place in the PMKRI Students Building on Thursday (13/3), at the request of the Central Jakarta Metro Police.

According to National Committee on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) member Asmara Nababan, who was also a member of the organizing committee, the cancellation notification concerning the seminar was received by the organizing committee at 08.00 West Indonesia Time or one hour before the seminar was to begin. As observed, a number of police agents from the Menteng Sector Police were seen to be ready in front of the entrance and grounds of the PMKRI building, but still permitted seminar participants to come and go.

Initially, the one-day seminar, which had been initiated by the INFID, PMKRI, PBHI, KIPP, and PIJAR, was to have put on stage a number of speakers. Among others, the Executive Director of LBHI who is also Secretary General of the General Elections Monitoring Independent Committee (KIPP) Mulyana W Kusumah, Komnas HAM Vice Chairman Marzuki Darusman, UI Socio-political Faculty teacher Arbi Sanit, and representatives of the three General Elections Participant Organizations, namely F-PP member Hadimulyo, Deputy Secretary General of the Central Directing Board of the Functional Group Moestahid Astari, and former Secretary General of the Central Directing Board of PDI, Alexander Litaay.

Among the speakers and audience already present were, among others, HAM [human rights - JB] activist HJC Princen, paranormal notable Permadi SH, Marsilam Simanjuntak, PSI prominent Soebadio Sastrosatomo, Asmara Nababan, Mulyana W Kusumah, and Arbi Sanit.

Two police agents from the Menteng Sector Police at the PMKRI secretariat requested the committee to contact the Central Jakarta Resort Police. Asmara Nababan accepted the request and went directly to the Central Jakarta Resort Police on Jalan Kramat Raya.

Must be reported

After meeting with the Intelligence Unit of the Central Jakarta Resort Police, Asmara explained that the intention to hold the one-day seminar should have been reported to the police seven days in advance. The committee had been of the opinion that there was no need to inform the police of the seminar, yet the police said that the notification was required as regulated in the Implementation Guidance on Notification of Public Meetings. Admittedly, the committee had indeed not informed the police in advance.

Asmara also explained chronologically about the cancellation. He said that a number of police agents from the Central Jakarta Menteng Sector Police had come to the Margasiswa PMKRI building on Jalan Sam Ratulani No.1, Jakarta, and asked for the meeting permit. "If there is no permit, we request that this seminar be disbanded," said Asmara, quoting the statement of the Menteng Sector Police official.

Asmara asked the police at the Central Jakarta Resort Police, whether it was true that the one-day seminar had to be disbanded because it had no permit. "The police did not make an issue of the permit, but the seven days advance notification had to be complied with," said Asmara, quoting the police.

Finally the committee decided to postpone the one-day seminar for 7 or 10 days. Asmara promised not to change the substance and material of the seminar concerning direct, general, free, secret, honest and fair general elections. "We turn this into a meeting of goodwill and taking food," said Asmara.

Meanwhile, Head of the Information Service of the Metro Jaya Region Police, Lt.Col.(Pol) Edward Aritonang, affirmed that the Menteng Sector Police and Central Jakarta Resort Police had not disbanded the one-day seminar, but prevented the seminar from proceeding because there had been no notification yet from the seminar committee. "The seminar was never held, so it was not disbanded," affirmed Aritonang in his office.

Aritonang said that the committee itself had disbanded the seminar which was to have taken place in the Marga Siswa PMKRI Building on Jalan Sam Ratulangi 1, Menteng, Central Jakarta. "We also did not detain Asmara Nababan at the Central Jakarta Resort Police. He come to the Resort Police by himself to know the official procedure for holding seminars," he said. (*)