'Independen' did circulate in public, court told<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Independen magazine published by the
\nAlliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) was circulating among
\nthe general public without a proper government permit, witnesses
\ntestified at the trials of three alliance members this week.<\/p>\n
Two police officers, and a hotel waiter told the Central
\nJakarta court in separate testimony that they saw, or knew, that
\ncopies of Independen were being offered to the general public.<\/p>\n
Sgt. Utomo Ramlan, an undercover officer, said on Thursday
\nthat he even subscribed to the journal by filling in a
\nsubscription form.<\/p>\n
During the trial of Danang Kukuh Wardoyo, an AJI clerk, Utomo
\nsaid he had received a receipt, which was later turned over to
\nthe prosecutors, for three editions of the magazine.<\/p>\n
However, when the judge asked to see the receipt, the state
\nprosecutors could not produce it.<\/p>\n
Utomo said he subscribed to Independen in order to accumulate
\nevidence that the magazine was indeed made available to the
\ngeneral public by its publishers.<\/p>\n
Danang, Ahmad Taufik and Eko Maryadi are being tried on
\ncharges of sowing hatred against the government by distributing
\nIndependen, which is highly critical of the government. If found
\nguilty, they face a maximum of seven years imprisonment.<\/p>\n
Ahmad and Eko, who are being tried jointly, are journalists of
\nthe now banned Tempo weekly news magazine.<\/p>\n
The three are members of AJI, which was founded last year to
\ngroup journalists discontented at the lack of action by the
\nAssociation of Indonesian Journalists in defense of the displaced
\njournalists of Tempo and two other magazines that were closed
\nlast year.<\/p>\n
The government has refused to recognize the alliance, citing
\nthat a 1985 law permits only one organization to represent each
\nprofession.<\/p>\n
The three men were arrested during and after an AJI reception
\nat Wisata International Hotel in Jakarta in March. According to
\nthe prosecutors, the magazines were distributed at the reception.<\/p>\n
Abdulrahman Jamaludin, a Wisata waiter, testified on Thursday
\nthat he saw Danang giving out copies of the magazine to the
\nguests. \"I did not see any money being given to Danang,\" he told
\nthe court.<\/p>\n
This last remark contradicted an earlier statement the waiter
\ngave to the police in which he said that the magazine was sold to
\nsome guests at the reception.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, Sgt. Utomo and another police officer, Supriadi,
\ntestified for the prosecutors in the trial of Ahmad and Eko.<\/p>\n
They supported the accusation that the magazine was available
\nto the public in violation of the press publication regulations.<\/p>\n
Supriadi was one of the arresting officers at the Wisata
\nHotel.<\/p>\n
Both men said they formed a team to catch the people behind
\nthe publication of the magazine following a tip from the Ministry
\nof Information, the government agency which issues press
\npublishing permits.<\/p>\n
They also identified equipment, including a personal computer
\nand some sign boards, presented by the prosecutors in court, as
\nthe objects they confiscated from AJI's secretariat during a raid
\nin March.<\/p>\n
They said they had read articles in the magazine which they
\nbelieved were so inflammatory that they could cause instability
\nnationwide. (06\/03)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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