Fitraya Ramadhanny, Jakarta – Stigmatised victims of the 30 September Movement/Indonesian Communist Party (G30S/PKI) believe that the Central Jakarta State Court has the authority to try their suit against for four former Indonesian presidents and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

The former presidents are Suharto, B.J. Habibie, Abdurrahman Wahid and Megawati Sukarnoputri. This was revealed in a counter hearing on the defense plea of the accused at the Central Jakarta State Court on Jalan Gajah Mada in Jakarta on Wednesday August 31.

One of the lawyers for the ex-G30s/PKI members, Gatot, said that the authority to try the suit against authorities clearly lies with the state court, not the People’s Consultative Assembly, the Constitutional Court, the House of Representatives, the Ad Hoc Human Rights Court, the UN Human Rights Commission or the State Administrative Court (PTUN).

“The Central Jakarta State Court has the authority to handle this case because several times already, the Jakarta State Court has handed down verdicts on suits against the government, such as the attack on the Tempo [offices] and the roundup of becaks [pedicabs] in Jakarta”, said Gatot.

“What is clear is that we say the defense plea has no basis and all of the components against the law have been fulfilled. The demand for compensation can be deal with by the Central Jakarta State Court”, he continued.

The ex-G30S/PKI members are asking the panel of judges to reject the defendants’ defense plea in its entirety and accept the counter plea by the plaintiffs and declare that the Central Jakarta State Court has the authority to examine the class action. The examination of the suit can be continued and require that the defendants pay for the case.

The presiding judge, Cicut Sutiarso, decided that the trial would be continued on September 14 with the reading of a preliminary verdict.

Anti-Communist demonstration

As has been the tradition at previous hearings, the Islamic Movement for the Fatherland (Pintar) again held a demonstration against the ex- ex-G30S/PKI members. The demonstration, which was joined by some 50 activist, was held in front of the courthouse’s front gates. The demonstrators gave speeches and unfurled anti-Communist banners with messages such as “The PKI rises up, we are ready to exterminate [them]”, “Communism is anti-religion” and “We oppose communism”.

“We declare our struggle against communism and we will again come out [into the streets] on September 14 2005 at this location to oppose communism”, said the field coordinator Muhammad Alvin Tanjung during the action.

In their defense plea at the hearing on August 22, the legal representatives of the four former presidents and Yudhoyono said the they believe that the suit must be heard at the PTUN because it is of an administrative nature. (aan)

[Translated by James Balowski.]