Jubilee Campaign USA, February 27, 2003
Rev. Damanik Hospitalized with Liver Symptoms
February 27, 2003
Dear Friends,
Monday February 24, the criminal court in Palu, the capitol of Central Sulawesi,
forced Rev. Rinaldy Damanik to come to court despite his complaint that he was ill
and unable to sit through the proceedings.
Early Monday morning Rev. Damanik told his prison guards he was ill and requested
to immediately see a doctor. The prosecutor scorned his request, stating that he was
pretending to be ill. However, private parties arranged for a doctor to come to him in
his prison cell before the day's scheduled resumption of the criminal proceedings.
Last week after commencement of the case, prosecutors suddenly lodged a new
charge of "provocation" in addition to the pending charge of weapons possession.
By 9:00 am prosecutors as well as defense attorneys had come to the prison, and a
doctor was permitted to examine him. The doctor's written diagnosis stated that Rev.
Damanik needed to see an internist. An assistant within the criminal department of
the Provincial High Court stated that because he could still walk he had to come to
the court to listen to the prosecutors' comments. Thus, he was forced to appear
before the court despite his debilitating pain.
In a complete disregard of his well-being and refusing to take judicial notice of his
health, the chief judge ruled that Rev. Damanik had to wait to see the internist until
the prosecutors completed their comments and also defense attorneys commented
on the prior session. One of his defense attorneys objected during the prosecutor's
comments, but his objection was overruled. Shortly thereafter defense attorneys
walked out of the proceedings in protest of the inhumane and unjust treatment. The
fact that his defense attorneys walked out in protest was reported in Palu
newspapers. Only after the chief judge finally adjourned the proceedings, was Rev.
Damanik taken to the Salvation Army hospital in Palu to run tests. Initial lab test
results showed positive indication of a liver disease, and the hospital kept him
overnight for additional testing. He remained guarded by prison guards as well as two
of his own Palu-based defense attorneys.
The unequal treatment of Rev. Damanik, whose medical complaints were disregarded
by this court, stands in stark contrast to the treatment of Abu Bakar Bashir and Jafar
Umar Thalib. In the case of Bashir, accused of masterminding the Bali bombing which
resulted in the death of some 200 people, a judge was recorded by the Strait Times
last Fall as stating, "you look ill today," adjourned his criminal hearing, and permitted
him to go to a hospital where he received guests and other dignitaries. During the
summer of 2002, Jafar Umar Thalib, the head of the Laskar Jihad terrorist organization
widely believed to be responsible for the killing of 1000s of Christians and destruction
of scores of Christian villages, was released for medical reasons. This disparity of
treatment is appallingly obvious and motivated by those seeking to silence Rev.
Damanik and stop his work to assist Christian refugees with resettlement and
rebuilding homes and villages in Central Sulawesi.
One of our contacts, Mona Saroinsong, invites emails message to be sent to Rev.
Damanik via her email address. She states that at the moment he needs to visualize
the concerns and attention of well-wishers around the world. Damanik remains
hospitalized as of Wednesday in UNDATA State hospital Palu. He is not allowed to
read heavy books nor to write. According to the doctor, he is suffering from typhus
and hepatitis and must have full bed rest. More tests are needed and the lab report
will be issued Thursday. Prison guards report that his condition is very weak.
Please write a personal email to Rev. Damanik, which can be sent directly as
follows:Mona Saroinsong jfmonas@yahoo.com
Sincerely,
Ann Buwalda
Jubilee Campaign USA
email: jubilee@jubileecampaign.org
voice: 703-503-0791
web: http://www.jubileecampaign.org
This email was sent to shortcut2justy@yahoo.com.au, by Jubilee Campaign USA.
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