Jakarta – H. Wartono Karyo Utomo, the father of Budiman Sudjatmiko, chairperson of the People's Democratic Party (PRD), was accused of being an ex-member of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) in relation to Budiman's activities in the PRD.

This accusation was made by the then head of staff the ABRI chief of sociopolitical affairs, Lieutenant General Syarwan Hamid when the New Order government was hunting Budiman who was accused of being the mastermind behind the July 27, 1996 incident.

"At that time, Pak Syarwan Hamid said that Budiman's father was ex-PKI, category B-2. When I heard this I became emotional. Then I sent a letter to the government requesting a document stating that I was not a PKI member because at that during, the New Order era, these matters were extremely important. I am not a PKI member and have never been involved in the activities of the PKI. As a result of this statement, for more than a year my family was ostracized by the community", said Wartono when he gave evidence at the PRD law suit against the government and military officers of the New Order at the Jakarta State court on Wednesday.

The trial, which was presided over by judge Musa Simatupang, presented three witnesses, Wartono, Nining (ex-leader of Semarang Student Solidarity for Democracy in Indonesia) and Sandra Fertasari (a PRD cadre). Sandra and Nining had been detained by the police and accused of being responsible for and involved in the July 27 case.

Before Wartono gave evidence, the judge questioned Wartono's status as Budiman's father saying that because Wartono was a blood relation of the plaintiff he could not give evidence. This resulted in a number of spectators calling the judge a remnant of the New Order. After the plaintiff's lawyers explained that the suit was not in the name of Budiman but in the name of an organisation, the PRD, only then did the judge gave Wartono permission to give evidence.

Meanwhile, Nining and Sandara said that they had been detained in a police office on charges of being involved in the July 27 incident. Nining said that as a result of this charge, his family experience [a great deal] of pressure and were often terrorised. During a ceremony on August 17, 1999, the Regent of Pati said that Nining and a friend were involved in the PRD which was a communist [organisation]. At the time of the July 27 incident Sandra was at the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) headquarters. He was arrested by police and accused of destruction, attack on and the burning of property, According to Sandra, it was in fact the police to did all of this. "I saw it myself, on Jalan Surabaya the police took off their uniforms and put on T-shirts before they arrived and attacked the PDI offices. I know one of the attackers, Serka Berdis from the Central Jakarta Police", said Sandra.