A political activist facing a possible six-year jail sentence for burning a portrait of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono walked out of his trial in Bali on Thursday (24/3/05) in protest against the charges.
The suspect, Wayan 'Gendo' Suardana (29), allegedly burned the president's picture outside the Bali's provincial legislative assembly on December 31 during a demonstration against the government's plan to increase fuel prices.
He was arrested on January 3 and charged under Articles 134 and 136 of the Criminal Code (KUHP), which punish "insulting the president" with a maximum sentence of six years in jail.
The government on March 1 increased fuel prices by average of 29%, saying the move was necessary to reduce spending on costly fuel subsidies and free up funds for development, health and education.
Despite considerable public opposition to the price increases, demonstrations against the hikes have mostly involved students and are yet to attract the masses. But the president is now facing opposition in parliament, where five factions have demanded the policy be reviewed.
Yudhoyono earlier this month instructed authorities not to be heavy-handed in dealing with protests against the increases, but the instruction came too late for Gendo, whose trial commenced on Thursday at Denpasar District Court.
The law on insulting the president was inherited from Indonesia's former Dutch colonial rulers. The original legislation was once used against ex-president Megawati Sukarnoputri's father, founding president Sukarno, during his fight for independence from the Dutch in the 1930s and 40s.
Gendo and his team of lawyers walked out of the trial in protest, saying the charges were based on a relic of Indonesia's colonial era. "If these articles are used against me, I will not take part in this trial. The articles are rubber articles and a colonial legacy," Gendo was quoted as saying by detikcom online news portal.
His lawyer Agus Sami Jaya said the walkout was in line with Article 167 of the Criminal Procedure Code (KUHAP), claiming the article states that a defendant only needs to present for the reading of the verdict. The article actually says no such thing. It merely lists conditions under witnesses have to attend trials.
Following the walkout, presiding judge Made Sudia suspended the trial for 10 minutes, during which time he tried but failed to convince the defendant and his lawyers to come back and attend proceedings.
The judge then adjourned the trial for a week and ordered the prosecution to make sure the defendant will show up. Chief prosecutor Suparta Jaya is yet to read out the charges against Gendo. The file of evidence against the defendant includes a half-burned picture of Yudhoyono.
The walkout was cheered by about 50 student activists, who almost clashed with security forces as they tried to shake the defendant's hand. Gendo's supporters have said he is a casualty of authoritarian politics and called on authorities to instead arrest corrupt officials.
Numerous students were jailed in 2003 after either defacing or burning portraits of then-president Megawati during protests against fuel and utility price increases. The scale of the protests prompted Megawati to toll back the increases.
Fuel price rises have long been a politically sensitive issue in Indonesia, sparking widespread protests and riots in 1998 that hastened the downfall of former dictator Suharto.
Semarang scorcher
In the Central Java capital of Semarang, student protesters on Thursday burned a picture of Yudhoyono, saying his decision to increase fuel price rises was an act of treachery to the Indonesian people.
Gathered outside the provincial legislative assembly, the students also chanted slogans again st Vice President Jusuf Kalla and parliament speaker Agung Laksono. "SBY-Kalla and parliament have betrayed the people," they shouted.
Outside the main entrance of the assembly building, the protesters placed a picture of the president on a black coffin, which was then set alight. Several local officials tried to extinguish fire, but the students continued to pour fuel on the flames until the coffin was incinerated.
The demonstrators carried posters with slogans such as "Crush SBY-Kalla and Agung Laksono", "The president smiles as the price of milk goes up' and 'Fuel goes up, the little people choke'.
About 50 police kept a close eye on the students but made no arrests.
Makassar mutilation
In the South Sulawesi capital of Makassar, dozens of student protesters on Tuesday almost clashed with police while attempting to burn a large portrait of the president.
Nimble police quickly extinguished the flames each time the students tried to burn the picture, which led to much pushing and shoving between the two sides.
Frustrated by the police's actions, the students eventually tore the picture to pieces – an act that angered the police. Noticing the change in the police's demeanor, the students quickly retreated to the nearby campus of University 45.
Surabaya scalding
Student protesters in the East Java capital of Surabaya on Thursday set fire to flags of Golkar Party and the Democrat Party, accusing the parties of inflicting suffering on the public by supporting the fuel price increases. Golkar is led by Kalla, while the Democrat Party is led by Yudhoyono.
The students said the two leaders must resign because they were unsympathetic toward the plight of the people.
The flag burnings were conducted at the campus of Airlangga University and Grahadi Mansion, the latter being the official residence of the province's governor.