Minister says 'D&R' cover degrading<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Information Minister R. Hartono blasted Detektif
\ndan Romantika (D&R) weekly magazine yesterday for portraying
\nPresident Soeharto on the magazine's cover this week as the king
\nof spades.<\/p>\n
\"In my opinion it is very degrading because Soeharto is not a
\nking, and we do not have a kingdom here,\" Hartono said.<\/p>\n
\"You all know that President Soeharto was elected by the
\ncountry's representatives to head this country, whereas a king
\nascends to the throne,\" he said.<\/p>\n
However, Hartono said he would not react hastily to the cover.<\/p>\n
He said he would first give a verbal warning followed by a
\nwritten warning to the publication.<\/p>\n
\"It (the cover) may just be an error, an oversight but one
\nthing for sure this is not a game anymore,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"It is rude and vulgar and does not appreciate the legislative
\nprocess of our country,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Bambang Bujono, one of D&R's executives, said last night that
\nthe magazine's cover was not intended to convey the meaning
\ninterpreted by the minister.<\/p>\n
\"Our objective, as we wrote in the Perspectives column on Page
\n3 of the magazine, is that no matter how many times we turn the
\ncard, President Soeharto will still be elected (as the incoming
\npresident).\"<\/p>\n
He said the picture was chosen mainly for its artistic content
\nand it was considered attractive enough for a magazine cover.<\/p>\n
\"We have tried to make the cover as good as possible,\" he
\nsaid, adding that the magazine had no intention of denigrating
\nanyone.<\/p>\n
Asked whether there was a possibility that D&R would be closed
\ndown like Tempo weekly was in 1994, Hartono reiterated that
\nclosing down a publication was no longer a government choice.<\/p>\n
\"I have said, over and over again, that any mistakes or errors
\nare going to be settled in court,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The March 7 edition of D&R had a king of spades with
\nSoeharto's face on its cover. (das)<\/p>",
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