Precedence: bulk NEW EMERGENCY LAWS WILL PASS JAKARTA (SiaR, 14/9/99). The waves of demonstrations calling for the rejection of the draft laws on State Security (State of Emergency), have not had any effect on the legislative body. The only faction opposing the draft laws was the FPP (Persatuan Pembangunan, the Islamic Faction), in the end agreed to follow the example of the other factions and to allow the bill to pass. Information obtained by SiaR from members of the legislative body (DPR) on Monday, 13 Sept., said that the 23rd September would be the deadline for passing the bill, now named the Draft Law on Emergency (RU Penanggulangan Keadaan Bahaya). A recent statement by the Chair of the DPR from the Indonesian Military Faction, Hari Sabarno indicated the likelihood that the bill would be passed. To reporters Hari Sabarno said that he would not be influenced by the waves of demonstrations by students and others rejecting the passage of the bill. "No matter how many victims may fall, we do not care. The main thing is that the draft law must be passed," he said, in an on-air statement broadcast by a private radio station in Jakarta. According to Hari Sabarno, his side would only reconsider [the bill] if pressure came from the five parties who had won seats in the recent general elections. He went so far as offering a choice, that rejecting the present Emergency Draft Law in effect would be taken to mean that the people agreed to the l959 Emergency Laws. In response to this argumentation offered by Hari Sabarno, the Executive Director of the PBHI Human Rights organisation, Hendardi, said that the option presented by Sabarno was naive. "How is it possible that we would choose one out of two types of poison. Whichever one we drink, we'll die," be said to SiaR.*** ---------- SiaR WEBSITE: http://apchr.murdoch.edu.au/minihub/siarlist/maillist.html
