An artist on Monday called for a statue of a labor activist to be erected outside the House of Representatives to remind lawmakers about labor struggles.

Artist Ratna Sarumpaet said a statue of murdered labor organizer Marsinah should be built outside the House chambers in Senayan, South Jakarta. She said members of a crisis center the activist founded hopes to erect the monument.

"The Ratna Sarumpaet Crisis Center wishes to build the statue of Marsinah," Ratna said.

Marsinah was found dead near Nganjuk in East Java in May 1993 after leading a strike at PT Catur Putra Surya, a watch factory in Sidoarjo, East Java. Signs of torture and rape were later discovered during an inspection of her mutilated body.

Ratna said the she was drafting an official request for the Jakarta administration to approve the statue outside the House.

She hoped construction would begin on May 1 to commemorate World Labor Day. Ratna said she chose Marsinah as a symbol because she represented the struggle of laborers across the country. "There are so many problems faced by laborers. We need to remind lawmakers that they owe a debt to resolve labor issues," Ratna said.

There are allegations that security forces were involved in Marsinah's murder. The National Commission for Human Rights launched an investigation into the slaying in 1994. The probe failed to yield clear results.

Judi Susanto, the director of the watchmaking factory, was convicted of plotting the murder. He was released in November 1994 after the East Java High Court overturned his conviction. He had been sentenced to 17 years in jail. (Antara, JG)