Journalists complain to police over banning<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Three journalists prohibited from covering
\nactivities at the Attorney General's Office filed a complaint at
\nthe National Police Headquarters in South Jakarta on Thursday,
\nurging police to investigate the ban.<\/p>\n
The three banned journalists -- Bambang Wahyu from Kompas
\ndaily, Driantama from television station RCTI and Roy Tumpal
\nPakpahan from the Suara Bangsa afternoon newspaper -- were
\nreceived by police Capt. TP Damanik at the headquarters.<\/p>\n
\"We ask the police to investigate alleged criminal actions
\nbehind the ban,\" Roy told reporters after filing the complaint.<\/p>\n
The complaint was directed mainly at three officials, namely
\nAttorney General Andi M. Ghalib, the office's general affairs
\nmanager Zainuddin Jahisa and security coordinator B.S. Guntur,
\nwho directly or indirectly ordered the ban.<\/p>\n
Zainuddin said on Tuesday the three journalists were
\nprohibited from entering the Attorney General's Office as they
\nacted rudely when questioning Ghalib in a press conference after
\nthe installment on May 26 of Ramelan as the new deputy attorney
\ngeneral for special crimes.<\/p>\n
The three journalists were scheduled to visit the police
\nheadquarters to submit evidence, including audio-visual
\nrecordings of the press conference, to police on Friday.<\/p>\n
Before the journalists filed the complaint, dozens of their
\ncolleagues staged a protest at the Attorney General's Office,
\ndemanding the attorney general give a reasonable explanation of
\nthe decision to ban the three.<\/p>\n
In the protest, which took place from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.,
\nthe journalists sang several modified songs and unfurled banners
\ncriticizing the decision.<\/p>\n
One of the banners read: \"Don't insult journalists with your
\noffer of ties and shoes.\"<\/p>\n
After waiting for two hours, however, the three journalists
\nfailed to meet Ghalib.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Deputy Attorney General for Intelligence Affairs
\nYusuf Kartanegara apologized to the three banned journalists on
\nThursday, but said there was never in fact a ban.<\/p>\n
\"The office never prevents journalists from covering events
\nhere. We only make an attempt to urge reckless journalists to
\ndress well and to ask questions in a proper manner,\" he said<\/p>\n
However, the three journalists turned down the office's
\napology, and insisted that the attorney general apologize to them
\nhimself.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, dozens of journalists in the Forum for Bandung
\nJournalists' Discussion blasted the attorney general's ban as
\n\"arrogant\" and \"immoral\".<\/p>\n
\"Precisely in the reform era, the attorney general has closed
\ndown the people's access to information,\" the group said in a
\nstatement. (emf\/asa\/43)<\/p>",
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