Journalist groups condemn assault on 'Indo Pos' dayly<\/p>\n
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Dozens of people barged into Graha Pena, the office of Indo Pos
\ndaily, in Kebayoran Lama, South Jakarta on Tuesday evening,
\noccupying the building for several hours and injuring two
\nreporters.<\/p>\n
More than 20 people from Tanah Abang in Central Jakarta,
\nclaiming to be supporters of gang leader Hercules, arrived at the
\nbuilding at 9:30 p.m., and demanded clarification over an article
\npublished by Indo Pos on Monday.<\/p>\n
Indo Pos reporter Indra Bonaparte, who was present in the
\nbuilding, said the group claimed that they had never been
\ninterviewed by the reporter who wrote the article.<\/p>\n
They also asked Indo Pos chief editor Irwan Setiawan to meet
\nthem to explain the article.<\/p>\n
The article talks about a change in the situation in Tanah
\nAbang, where a new generation of thugs have taken over the area
\nfrom Hercules, who was said in the article to be studying Islam
\nin Cirebon, West Java.<\/p>\n
Several group members entered the building by force and went
\nto the 10th floor to look for the reporter who wrote the article.<\/p>\n
One reporter, identified as Rizki, who tried to calm the gang,
\nwas hit by gang members, while reporter Dilianto, who tried to
\nhelp him, suffered a broken nose after being beaten up by the
\ngang.<\/p>\n
The gang also threatened to destroy all the computers in the
\nbuilding if they were not shut down.<\/p>\n
\"Fortunately, the chief editor arrived with police officers to
\nhandle the situation. South Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr.
\nGuffron also arrived several minutes later. There were brief
\nnegotiations, and at 1 a.m., the gang left the building,\" Indra
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Contacted separately, the writer of the article said that he
\ndid interview Hercules and did cross check other information
\nbefore submitting his story to the editor.<\/p>\n
\"I am now very afraid. I can't talk to you much as I am afraid
\nof saying something wrong. I am grounded for the time being,\" he
\ntold The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Hercules said that the group came to the building
\nto ask for clarification as he had never been interviewed nor
\nasked for confirmation by the reporter.<\/p>\n
\"I never met the reporter. Also, I am not a thug. I have never
\nextorted money from store owners or residents in Tanah Abang,\" he
\nwas quoted by RCTI as saying on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Firman Gani said that he had
\nordered his officers to investigate the case.<\/p>\n
\"We will summon the gang members because of the attack. We
\nwill also question Hercules if necessary,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the Independent Journalists Alliance (AJI) Heru
\nHendratmoko urged police to investigate the attack and arrest
\nindividuals who had assaulted journalists.<\/p>\n
\"AJI condemns the attack. That is a criminal act. If people
\nhave objections over an article, they have the right to respond
\n(through the publication) or report it to the Press Council,\" he
\ntold the Post.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/journalist-groups-condemn-assault-on-indo-pos-dayly-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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