amnesty international

INDONESIA Book Author Faces Prison Sentence

July 1997 AI INDEX: ASA 21/50/97 PIRAN 3/97 DISTR: SC/CC/CO

One man is in detention and another is facing charges for their role in the publication of writings critical of the Indonesian Government. The author of the book, Soebadio Sastrosatomo, and his private secretary, Buyung Rachmat Buchori Nasution, are facing charges of publicly insulting ’s President . If convicted both men would be considered by Amnesty International to be prisoners of conscience, detained solely for the peaceful expression of their political beliefs.

The charges against the two men are in connection with a book written by Soebadio called New Era, New leader: Badio1 rejects the Engineering by the New Order Regime, published in January 1997. The book contains 22 pages of Soebadio's reflections on the Indonesian Government, criticising many aspects of the government since 1965. In the book Soebadio argues that the state has been used for the personal benefit of President Suharto. He also criticises Indonesia's election process:

“The general election which costs billions and billions is for nothing other than as a tool for legitimising the extension of power. Five times there have been elections during the New Order period, all of these have only been for the perpetuity and justification of power - there are no changes...”

The book was banned on 4 March by the Attorney-General’s Department on the grounds that it discredited the government, Indonesia's Armed Forces and President Suharto.

Soebadio Sastrosatomo is 78 years old. Formerly a member of Indonesia’s National Parliament for the now banned Indonesian Socialist Party (Partai Sosialis

1Badio is a shortened version of Soebadio. Indonesia, PSI), Soebadio spent time in prison during the Japanese occupation of Indonesia, and under the regimes of Indonesia’s first president, , and the current President Suharto. Active in the campaign against the Japanese occupation of Indonesia during the Second World War, Soebadio was imprisoned in 1944. Following the country's independence, he became a member of Indonesia's National Parliament for the PSI in 1950 and remained in parliament until the banning of the party by President Sukarno in 1960. He was jailed from 1962 to 1966. Since the current government came to power in 1965, Soebadio has not played a formal role in Indonesian politics and has remained outside the official three-party structure of politics permitted by the Indonesian Government. In 1974 he was accused of involvement in student riots in and detained in military custody. He was finally released in April 1976 after it was found that there was insufficient proof of his involvement.

Soebadio's recent problems began with the publication of his book. Commentators have speculated that President Suharto has been offended by suggestions in Soebadio's book that Suharto's legitimacy as a leader has been lost and there is now a power vacuum in Indonesia. Soebadio is associated with Indonesia’s nationalist movement and with the PSI. In April 1997 it was reported that Suharto strongly condemned PSI figures for causing problems in Indonesia.2

Soebadio was first questioned by the Attorney General's office in Jakarta on 6 March, following the banning of the book. On 20 March, Buyung Rachmat Buchori Nasution, aged 33, who works as Soebadio's private secretary, was arrested from his home in Jakarta. The reason for the arrest was that he was alleged to have printed the banned book. He was detained under two charges: Article 137 of the Indonesian Criminal Code and a subsidiary charge under Article 134. Article 137 provides for the punishment of those who "disseminate, demonstrate openly or put up a writing or portrait containing an insult against the President or Vice President with intent to make the contents public" with a maximum imprisonment of one year and four months. Article 134 punishes "insulting the President" with a maximum sentence of six years' imprisonment. Both articles have been used to imprison prisoners of conscience in the past. Buyung Nasution is currently detained at Regional Police Headquarters in Jakarta. He has been questioned several times already and on at least two occasions, on 12 and 13 May, he was interrogated as a witness in the case against Soebadio. Buyung Nasution refused to cooperate with the interrogation. It is now believed that he will be brought to trial on 5 August 1997 in South Jakarta.

On 5 May Soebadio was called again for questioning by police at the Regional Police Headquarters in Jakarta as a witness in the investigation of Buyung Nasution. On 12 May he was called for questioning as a suspect, under Article 134 in conjunction with Article 137 of the Indonesian Criminal Code. During his last interrogation, in which he was asked to explain opinions expressed in the book, Soebadio refused to speak and agreed to only answer questions in writing. It is not clear when Soebadio will be called again by police for questioning.

Amnesty International is concerned that Buyung Nasution has been detained and appears to be facing trial in August solely because of his association with Soebadio. The

2Indonesia Digest, No 32, 19 May 1997. organization is also concerned that Soebadio himself has been questioned and faces charges because of the expression of his views on the current political system in Indonesia. Neither man has advocated or used violence, and yet both are at risk of lengthy prison sentences if tried and imprisoned. Amnesty International is calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Buyung Nasution and for the charges against both men to be dropped. Please send letters in English or Bahasa Indonesia calling on the Indonesian authorities * to:drop the charges against Soebadio and Buyung Rachmat Buchori Nasution;

* immediately and unconditionally release Buyung Rachmat Buchori Nasution.

Please send appeals to:

MINISTER OF JUSTICE Haji Utoyo Usman S.H. Menteri Kehakiman Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said Kav. 6-7 Kuningan Jakarta Selatan Indonesia

Please send copies of your appeals to:

MINISTER OF STATE AND STATE SECRETARY Maj. Gen. Moerdiono Sekretaris Negara Jl. Veteran No. 17 Jakarta Indonesia

KEYWORDS: PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE1 / CENSORSHIP / WRITERS / PRINTERS / AGED /

INTERNATIONAL SECRETARIAT, 1 EASTON STREET, LONDON WC1X 8DJ, UNITED KINGDOM