Prosecutor says Jakarta Six being prosecuted to ‘safeguard national unity’

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Tempo – January 20, 2020
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Dano Tabuni (left) and Ambrosius Mulait wait for court hearing to start - January 16, 2020 (Antara)
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M Yusuf Manurung, Jakarta – The public prosecutor handling the treason case against six Papua activists has rejected all of the arguments of the demurrer presented by the lawyers representing the six.

Not just rejected the demurrer’s arguments, the prosecutor also explained the aim of the treason charges to the panel of judges.

“For us prosecuting this case is part of efforts to safeguard the unity of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI), which was established by our founding fathers at a very high cost”, said public prosecutor Permana Tirta Kusuma at the Central Jakarta District Court on Monday January 20.

According to Kusuma, the form of this unity cannot be renegotiated in the context of organising the country. Because of this, he said, terrorism, separatism and other efforts which undermine the authority and unity of the NKRI must be cracked down on in accordance with the law.

“Even though it is disguised as freedom of expression as a form of human rights”, he said.

The six defendants in the case are Paulus Suryanta Ginting, Charles Kossay, Ambrosius Mulait, Isay Wenda, Anes Tabuni and Arina Elopere. They were arrested by police for flying the Morning Star independence flag during a demonstration demanding a referendum for Papua in front of the State Palace on August 28, 2019.

The prosecution has charged Suryanta and his colleagues with two alternative articles. Namely, Article 106 of the Criminal Code (KUHP) in conjunction with Article 55 Paragraph 1(1) of the KUHP on makar (treason, subversion, rebellion) and Article 110 Paragraph 1 of the KUHP on criminal conspiracy.

The hearing today on Monday January 20 was scheduled to hear the prosecution’s response to a note of objection or demurrer presented earlier by the lawyers representing the six defendants.

[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was “Sidang Eksepsi Kasus Makar, Jaksa: Separatisme Harus Ditindak”.]

Source: https://metro.tempo.co/read/1297541/sidang-eksepsi-kasus-makar-jaksa-separatisme-harus-ditindak/

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