Indonesian Workers’ Rights Activist Jailed
Defend the Defenders of theUniversal Declaration of Human Rights!
To all the people’s movements, we need your solidarity, we need your help, we
need your sympathy.
—Dita Indah Sari
Dita Indah Sari, a 24-year-old woman, has been sentenced to five years in an Indonesian
jail. For nearly a year she lived with the fear of a possible death sentence, as she was
charged under Indonesia’s draconian Anti-Subversion Law.
Dita Indah Sari was arrested on 8 July 1996 when she took part in a demonstration calling for a rise in the national minimum wage. As leader of a non-governmental organization, the Centre for Indonesian Workers’ Struggle, she has worked steadfastly to improve workers’ pay and conditions in Indonesia. Article 25 of the UDHR says that everyone has the right to a decent standard of living.
The demonstration in the East Java town of Surabaya was entirely peaceful, yet it was blocked and violently dispersed by a heavy military and police presence, in violation of Article 20 of the UDHR, which guarantees freedom of assembly.
At least nine students and workers were arrested. Many were beaten, including Dita, in violation of Article 5 of the UDHR which prohibits torture and ill-treatment. Most were released, but Dita and Coen Husein Pontoh, a student who is a leading member of a peasants’ union, were kept in custody. The next day more people were arrested, including Mochamed Sholeh, a student activist.
All three have links with the People’s Democratic Party, a small left-wing group which was accused by the authorities of instigating riots in the capital, Jakarta, in July 1996.
Dita, Mochamed, and Coen Pontoh were initially accused of involvement in the Jakarta riots, despite the fact that they were in custody at the time.
Their trial was held in December 1996. At an appeal in July, Dita’s sentence was reduced to five years imprisonment and those of Mochamed and Coen Pontoh to three and one-half years. Amnesty International believes that they were denied a fair trial, in violation of Article 10 of the UDHR, and that they were convicted for peaceful political activities.
The Indonesian Government imposes heavy restrictions on the right to form and join trade unions, in violation of Article 23 of the UDHR. Only the government-sponsored trade union federation is recognized, and members of independent unions have faced violence, intimidation, and arrest.
What You Can Do:
Prisoners of conscience Dita Indah Sari, Coen Husein Pontoh, and Mochamed Sholeh are in prison for the non-violent expression of their opinions. They have been denied rights that the world has said should never be violated. Ask for their immediate and unconditional release. Write to:
The Attorney General, Agung Singgih S.H.
Jaksa Agung, Jl. Sultan Hasanuddin No. 1
Kebayoran Baru
Jakarta Selatan, Indonesia
