(Clearwisdom.net) According to a report from the Jakarta Post on April 29, 2005, an "Indonesian court on Thursday convicted 12 Falun Gong supporters who were arrested while holding a protest in front of the Chinese embassy during a state visit by China's President Hu Jintao."

Falun Gong practitioners believed that the conviction was due to the Chinese government's intervention. Practitioners have held demonstrations over 30 times since 2002, and most of them were held in the same area across from the Chinese Embassy. This was the first time they were arrested and convicted.

The report said that the South Jakarta District Court handed the supporters of the movement a two-month suspended jail sentence with six months probation.

According to the report, the "Falun Gong supporters were arrested as the Chinese leader was meeting Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono last Monday morning. The two leaders later signed a "strategic partnership" agreement that officials said paves the way for billions of dollars in trade and investment to Indonesia."

"The Falun Gong protestors said they were also arrested on Saturday protesting near the site of the Asian-African Summit - the first time they have been arrested during years of demonstrations - but were later released."

The report quoted eyewitnesses' words, that "most of the demonstrators were sitting meditating when they were arrested in a grassy strip next to the sidewalk across from the embassy. Photos showed groups of three or four police carrying away meditators while still sitting on their mats with eyes closed.

The supporters, who spent 24 hours in jail before being taken to court Tuesday, refused to attend the trial."

According to the report, one of the defendants said the practitioners "had held demonstrations over 30 times since 2002, most in the same area across from the Chinese embassy, and were never arrested, despite visits by the police, intelligence officers and diplomats from the Chinese embassy."

"The demonstrators said they had sent a letter, as they did with previous protests, to the police to notify authorities prior to their demonstration in accordance with the law."

"It's very strange because we were first told when we were arrested that we had violated laws on public order because we were there without permission," said one of the protestors, Hok Subagio, 57.

"I think we were arrested because there was an intervention by the government of China," he said. "On Monday, there was a visit by the president of China to the embassy, so I think they didn't want their president to see us over there."

The report stated that rights activists and group supporters, who say Falun Gong is a spiritual practice that is beneficial for body and mind, say thousands of practitioners have been unlawfully detained and some tortured and killed while in custody.

http://www.thejakartapost.com/detaillatestnews.asp?fileid=20050428180258&irec=2