Cimahi – Around 2,000 workers demonstrated at the Leuwigajah market in Cimahi, West Java on Tuesday. Thirty two demonstrators were arrested by police because they were said to have demonstrated without asking for permission from security forces.

On the same day, the demonstrators who were arrested were tried and found to be guilty of violating Article 510 of the Criminal Code. The police did not succeed in arresting other demonstrators because aside from there not being enough police for it to be possible, the demonstrators who were to be arrested left beforehand.

At the action they demanded a 100 per cent increase in wages, rejected the dismissal of workers and legislation on the Resolution of Industrial Disputes/Establishment of Protection for Labour and its revisions along with Law Number 25/1997.

At around 6.30am, workers from a number of industries in Jabar [in West Java] gathered near the Cimindi market, Bandung. They planned to join with other demonstrators at the Jabar regional parliament. Demonstrators filled the Cimindi road and as a result traffic was completely blocked.

The action was joined by social activist organisations in Jabar including the National Front for Labour Struggle (Front Nasional Perjuangan Buruh Indonesia, FNPBI), the Indonesian Islamic Student Movement (Pergerakan Mahasiswa Islam Indonesia, PMII), the National Student League for Democracy (Liga Mahasiswa Nasional untuk Demokrasi, LMND), the Indonesian National Party (Partai Nasional Indonesia, PNI), the People's Struggle Party (Partai Perjuangan Rakyat, PPR) and the People's Democratic Party (Partai Rakyat Demokratik, PRD).

However at the Cibaligo intersection near the Cimindi markets the demonstrators were blocked by scores of police made up of a joint team from West Bandung regional police and the Bandung provincial police. Police then questioned demonstrators as to whether they had a permit to demonstrate. Although the demonstrators showed them the permit along with a facsimile sent to the Jobar local police, police continued to request that they disperse.

At around 9am, the police arrested 32 demonstrators including five women because they did not disperse. They were arrested at two locations, on the road which goes past the Cimindi market and near the Cimindi pedestrian overpass. All of the arrested workers were from the company PT Garudafood.

Police also detained the chairperson of FNPBI, Jabar Eti Rostiawati (25), who at the time was driving a pickup. A PRD activist, Bin Bin (27) who had previously been detained by police in a similar case was also arrested.

Those who were arrested were then taken to the Bandung police headquarters and interrogated. Then, at around 12noon, the 32 demonstrators were taken to a room near the office of the Bandung police chief which "magically" became a court room.

At the hearing, which was presided over by judge Jihad Arkanuddin, eight members of the Bandung police were presented to the hearing as witnesses. In their testimonies they stated that they had not received notification for the demonstration. A Bandung police officer known as Rusman gave expert evidence on the procedures [required] for holding a demonstration.

As well as this, two employees of PT Garudafood were also witnesses. They stated that they had forbidden company employees from demonstrating on that day. However they could not be prevented from doing so when worker going home from work then joined the action.

The hearing decided that the 32 demonstrators were guilty because it was proven that they had violated Article 510 of the Criminal Code on conducting parades without a permit. The 31 demonstrators would therefore be sentenced to 10 days in jail and two months probation. "This means that they do not need to serve the sentence if over the next two months they do not carry out [further] actions of this nature", said Jihad.

Meanwhile, one person, Bin Bin was sentenced to one month's jail and two months probation. "Bin Bin has already committed a violation in a similar case" added Jihad.

After hearing the decision, seven of the demonstrators immediately appealed. "We do not accept this decision because we do not feel [we are] guilty. [Before] this action we informed the police but security forces still arrested us. This indicates that democratic space [in Indonesia] is becoming increasingly narrow" said Eti. (T05)

[Slightly abridged translation by James Balowski.]