Peter Boyle – Indonesian non-government organisations believe the June 8 raid by police on the Asia-Pacific Solidarity Conference, during which 32 foreigners were detained, was "a threat not only for [conference organiser] INCREASE but for all other pro-democracy NGOs". They have launched a lawsuit against the police.
Rita Olivia, one of several lawyers from the Legal Aid Institute of Jakarta (LBH) who assisted the 32 foreigners, told Green Left Weekly "The issue won't be only the raid but the state violence that violated the freedom of association, freedom to express our ideas".
Twelve NGOs have met since the raid to discuss its implications. These include the Indonesian Centre for Reform and Social Emancipation (INCREASE), which organised the confererence, but also environmental NGO WALHI, the International Forum on Indonesian Development (INFID), Women's Solidarity and LBH.
The groups agreed that "the raid was a form of state violence on democracy and freedom of association and expression", Olivia said.
The NGOs have since met with the chief commander of Indonesian police, General Bimantoro, on June 14 and parliamentarians, but "there was no satisfactory response from them", Olivia said. According to INCREASE director Kelik Ismunanto, Bimantoro admitted that his officers were wrong to stop the conference, but said that they did so because they suspected it to be an illegal meeting.
The suit will target not only the police but also the militias Angkatan Muda Kabah and Gerakan Pemuda Kabah, whose thugs entered the conference site alongside police and threatened and beat several Indonesian conference participants.
Olivia admits, however, that there "is only a tiny possibility to win such a case in our present justice system" but said confidently "Since we have a new attorney general and minister of justice and human rights, who are said to be 'true and straight men', who knows?" She adds however that "Usually we use court procedures not to win the case but use it as our stage to expose the behaviour of our government and authorities" and that the press will likely be an "ally" in the case.
"There is big support from NGOs" for the lawsuit, Olivia argues, "as this will effect their work as well. Still, we need to move quickly otherwise the moment will be gone with the hot political situation here".