Slank withdraws judicial review on police banning authority

Ina Parlina, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | National | Wed, March 06 2013, 9:16 PM

Veteran rock band Slank withdrew its judicial review petition on the National Police after the police promised the band they could stage performances.

In early February, the band filed the request to the Constitutional Court for a judicial review of Article 15 (2) of the 2002 National Police Law, which grants the police the authority to give permission to the band  after the police had called off their performances numerous times in several places across the country.

“The police have agreed to guarantee freedom of expression,” Slank’s lawyer, Wahyu Wagiman of rights watchdog Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (Elsam) said.

On Feb. 13, the police visited the band’s studio on Jl. Potlot, Pasar Minggu and discussed the matter with Slank. The police representatives said that discriminating musicians or artists was not the police’s priority but that a risk assessment should be made toward each venue to avoid unwanted conditions like riots.

Commenting on this, Slank drummer Bimo “Bimbim” Setiawan said both the police and the band had learned a valuable lesson from the judicial review filing.

Previously, Slank accused that the police had violated their freedom of expression following the police’s unclear reasons for not giving the band the green light to perform in some regions.

In November, police prohibited the band from performing at the 2012 Soundrenaline band festival held at Bumi Serpong Damai satellite city, South Tangerang. In 2009, similar prohibitions toward the band had also been enacted. The police cited that Slank had a bad track record of preventing its diehard fans from rioting music concerts.(dic)