A cultural evening entitled "Culture of the Marginalised" which was to have taken place at the office of the independent trade union, the SBSI, was broken up by police just a few minutes after it had begun. Dozens of police entered the hall. One officer yelled: 'You haven't got a permit'. All those present were then ordered to leave the hall.
The chair of the organising committee, Riswan, challenged the police officer in charge of the operation, saying that according to a joint miniterial decree of 1995, cultural events do not need a permit nor do the police need to be informed of the event.
He said that the programme consisted of poetry recitations, 'dangdut' music and some drama performances by a factory workers theatre workshop. As the events were being staged in the SBSI, there should be no question of it going ahead, said Riswan. However, the police broke up the event. All those present were ordered out of the building and eight people were driven away for questioning.
The police also confiscated a number of documents and possessions, including 900 cassettes, two sound system units, three electric guitar units and even a large map of Indonesia which was hanging on the wall.
In a statement signed by SBSI secretary-general Sunarti, the SBSI strongly protested at the police action and rejected the banning of the event which is in violation of the laws in force. There was no justification for claiming that the event was banned because no permit had been issued since such an event does not require a permit. The statement called on the authorities to uphold freedom of expression and assembly, as guaranteed in Article 28 of the Indonesian Constitution.
The SBSI members who were taken into custody were not released until the following day at 1pm. They returned immediately to the SBSI office where they were greeted by a crowd of people including playwright Ratna Sarumpaet whose play about Marsinah, the murdered workers activist, has been banned in several cities. Later they all went in a group to Cikini Hospital to report on what had happened to Muchtar Pakpahan, SBSI chair, who is currently still in hospital.