(ISAI/IFEX) – Despite protests at the previous banning of “Marsinah Menggugat” (Marsinah Accuses) on 26 November 1997, the performance scheduled for 6 December at the Centre Culturel Francais (CCF) in Bandung was once again banned by authorities. The ban was reportedly carried out by the West Java police, the Bandung police and the Central Bandung […]
(ISAI/IFEX) – Despite protests at the previous banning of
“Marsinah Menggugat” (Marsinah Accuses) on 26 November 1997, the
performance scheduled for 6 December at the Centre Culturel
Francais (CCF) in Bandung was once again banned by authorities.
The ban was reportedly carried out by the West Java police, the
Bandung police and the Central Bandung police. More than a
hundred police were deployed with a number of large trucks, as
well as one tank. They blocked the road towards Purnawarman road,
closed the gate to the CCF and would not allow anyone to enter
the building. Police also took down banners that had been placed
by the organising committee for the performance at the CCF.
**Updates IFEX alert dated 2 December 1997**
The police, who reportedly carried out the action without
appropriate documentation, accused the organisers of not having
obtained appropriate permission for the performances. According
to current regulations as passed by the government, such as
Juklap/02/XII/1995 which was authorised by the Indonesian Chief
of Police on 29 December 1995, Section C, article 1 paragraph f
states that, “Cultural performances in the form of music, dance,
drama, poetry reading, opera, pantomime, regional performances
and other similar genres, are regarded as public meetings which
do not require permission or notification.”
The director of the CCF, Jean-Michel Phelline, who is also the
French Consul in Bandung, demanded that the police withdraw the
ban, open the gates to the CCF building and allow the prospective
audience to enter so that the performance could go ahead.
Phelline also reminded the police on several occasions that,
since the CCF building is also the French Consulate, their
actions were considered to be in violation of diplomatic norms.
He informed them that the French Ambassador would make a formal
protest about the incident to the Indonesian Foreign Office.
Background Information
“Marsinah Menggugat”, by Ratna Sarumpaet, deals with the
unresolved murder of Indonesian labour activist Marsinah. The
planned 26 November performance was stopped by police only three
hours before the performance was due to begin at the Cak Durasim
Building in Surabaya. The play had previously been performed
without problem in several different cities (see IFEX alert).
