Harmoko expects no press bans in 1995<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Information Harmoko hopes he won't
\nbe forced to revoke any press publishing licenses this year, but
\nhas stressed that publications must also abide by the rules.<\/p>\n
\"I hope there will be no revocations of SIUPP in 1995,\"
\nHarmoko said yesterday, using the acronym for the press licenses
\nissued which are issued by the government.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a reception marking the 25th anniversary of the
\nMedia Indonesia daily newspaper, the minister said the government
\nwould not resort to revocations as long as the press complied
\nwith the guidelines and regulations.<\/p>\n
Three newsweeklies lost their publishing licenses last year,
\nwith the government saying that they had repeatedly ignored
\nofficial warnings about their editorial content or the scope of
\ntheir reporting. The three magazines -- Tempo, Editor and DeTik
\n-- were forced to close down after losing their licenses.<\/p>\n
Publishing licenses are controlled by the Ministry of
\nInformation.<\/p>\n
Harmoko, himself a former journalist, said the Indonesian
\npress must use the freedom it enjoys with the greatest sense of
\nresponsibility. The Indonesian press, he said, must support the
\nPancasila democracy.<\/p>\n
He reminded those present, including senior journalists, that
\nthe Indonesian press had a duty to enhance the intellectual level
\nof the people.<\/p>\n
Another duty of the press is to act as a social control
\nmechanism, but he said that in discharging this duty, the press
\nmust be \"constructive and corrective, and not destructive.\"<\/p>\n
The Media Indonesia anniversary reception yesterday was timed
\nto coincide with the inauguration of the newspaper's new building
\nin the Delta Kodya area in West Jakarta. The one-story building
\nhouses the newspaper's new printing machine. The newspaper
\ninvested some Rp 50 billion ($23 million) in the building and
\nfacilities.<\/p>\n
Bold<\/p>\n
The newspaper, known for its bold reporting during the six
\nyears since publisher Surya Paloh took charge, also unveiled its
\nnew logo at yesterday's reception.<\/p>\n
The newspaper had previously worked out of the Prioritas
\nBuilding in Central Jakarta. Surya had been the publisher of the
\nPrioritas newspaper before it lost its publishing license in
\n1988.<\/p>\n
The reception was attended by a number of dignitaries,
\nincluding Malaysian Information Minister Mohammad Rachmat,
\nCoordinating Minister for People's Welfare Azwar Anas, Minister
\nof Environment Sarwono Kusumaatmadja and Chairman of the Supreme
\nAdvisory Council Sudomo.<\/p>\n
In his speech at the anniversary Surya said one of the
\nchallenges facing newspapers today was that of surviving stiff
\nbusiness competition without abandoning their ideals.<\/p>\n
The newspaper's newly inaugurated building and facility should
\nhelp Media Indonesia in this quest, he added. (emb)<\/p>",
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