More condemn `Tempo' attack<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Dozens of journalists rallied near the State Palace on Monday to
\nprotest against the recent attack on the offices of Tempo
\nnewsmagazine.<\/p>\n
The protesters, representing Solidarity for Press Freedom,
\ncondemned the attack by 200 people demanding Tempo retract an
\narticle in its March 3 edition insinuating links between
\nbusinessman Tomy Winata's plan to renovate Tanah Abang market and
\nthe fire that destroyed it.<\/p>\n
The journalists called on the police to investigate the case
\nthoroughly.<\/p>\n
The 1999 press law threatens those who prevent journalists
\nfrom disseminating information to the public with a maximum two-
\nyear jail sentence or Rp 500 million fine.<\/p>\n
Bayu Wicaksono of the Alliance of Independent Journalists
\n(AJI), who led the protest at the State Palace, told reporters
\nthe attack on Tempo was an attack on press freedom.<\/p>\n
Later in the day, the National Commission of Human Rights
\n(Komnas HAM) held a meeting with a number of journalists over
\nviolence against the press.<\/p>\n
Komnas HAM established a special team to monitor violence
\ncases against journalists in January. Anshari Tayib, who heads
\nthe team, said it would do its best to help Tempo settle the case
\nlegally.<\/p>\n
During the meeting, Tempo senior editor Fikri Jufri said the
\nmagazine would not bow to the mob's demands, despite the attack.<\/p>\n
\"They can destroy our assets but not our idealism. There is
\nonly one word for such an action, 'fight!'\" he said, adding that
\nTempo would settle the case in court.<\/p>\n
Separately, noted non-governmental organizations Indonesia
\nCorruption Watch (ICW), Transparency International (TI), TI's
\nIndonesian chapter and the Indonesian Transparency Society (MTI),
\ncondemned the attack in a joint statement, saying the attack
\ncould undermine press freedom.<\/p>\n
\"The violent protest showed clearly that the protesters were
\narrogant, anarchic and ignored the supremacy of the law,\" said
\nEmmy Hafild, an executive at TI's Indonesian chapter. She
\ndemanded the police bring the perpetrators to justice.<\/p>\n
TI chairman Peter Eigen said the authority's failure to
\naddress the case would deter foreign investment.<\/p>\n
He said that if the police did not act swiftly to solve the
\ncase, foreign investors could think that the supremacy of law was
\nabsent in Indonesia, discouraging investors from coming here.<\/p>\n
The Indonesia Legal Aid and Human Rights Association
\ncriticized the police for doing nothing to prevent the incident.<\/p>\n
\"The incident occurred under their noses. They must not allow
\nit,\" it said in a statement.<\/p>\n
A member of the House of Representatives' commission for
\ninformation affairs, Djoko Susilo, concurred and urged the
\nauthorities to investigate the violence.<\/p>\n
Djoko said police should act immediately without waiting for a
\ncomplaint from Tempo.<\/p>\n
He said he would question Minister of Communications and
\nInformation Syamsul Mu'arif in relation to the issue during its
\nnext hearing, the schedule of which had not yet been set.<\/p>\n
The police were present when Tomy's supporters attacked
\nTempo's offices and injured a journalist. The magazine's chief
\neditor, Bambang Harymurti, and editor Ahmad Taufik were beaten by
\nseveral protesters as they waited for a meeting with the
\nprotesters at Central Jakarta Police headquarters.<\/p>\n
The police insist they will only investigate if Tempo files a
\ncomplaint.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Yusuf Yazid, commenting on behalf of Tomy, defended
\nthe mob's action, saying the incident was in response to the
\narticle, which quoted sources regarding Tomy's Rp 53 billion
\n(US$5.9 million) bid to renovate the market.<\/p>\n
He also alleged that Tempo never interviewed Tomy for the
\narticle.<\/p>\n
Bambang dismissed the accusations, saying its reporters
\ninterviewed Tomy by phone.<\/p>\n
Tempo published Tomy's interview next to the article.<\/p>\n
Tomy said earlier that he had no idea about the attack and it
\nwas simply the idea of his men, who were members of his Artha
\nGraha Group and the Indonesian Young Bulls (BMI), a youth
\norganization belonging to President Megawati Soekarnoputri's
\nIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle.<\/p>\n
However, he later said that he had attempted to stop his men
\nfrom protesting outside Tempo.<\/p>\n
Tomy is known for his close relationship with several high-
\nranking officials in the country.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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