Press, journalists still left unprotected<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
Though violence against journalists is dropping, it continues to
\nhamper journalists in the reform era, observers say.<\/p>\n
Data from the Independent Journalists' Alliance (AJI),
\npresented by press observer Leo Batubara, shows that violence
\nagainst the press is committed by elements of society, including
\nsecurity personnel, government officials, legislators,
\nbusinesspeople and hired mobs.<\/p>\n
Of 106 attacks between May 1999 to May 2000, twenty-four,
\nincluding 14 physical assaults, involved military or police
\npersonnel, nine by government officials and two by legislators.<\/p>\n
From May 2000 till May 2001, authorities and legislators were
\ninvolved in 48 incidents recorded by AJI<\/p>\n
For the year of 2002, 38 of 65 abuse cases were committed by
\nsecurity personnel and legislators, including 13 physical attacks
\nby police or military personnel.<\/p>\n
Leo said the attacks were the result of ignorance and
\ncorruption.<\/p>\n
"The press are supposed to monitor the corrupt government. But
\nwhen the press publish these irregularities, no law enforcement
\nhas been applied by law enforcers. Instead, people tend to use
\nviolence against the press which is accused of slander," he said.<\/p>\n
Last year only five percent of the total 65 cases reported to
\nAJI were settled by police.<\/p>\n
Didik Supriyanto, a member of the Election Supervisory Board
\n(Panwaslu), said police were usually reluctant to investigate
\nviolence committed by their own.<\/p>\n
"It is impossible," he said, without elaborating.<\/p>\n
Former deputy attorney general for special crimes Antonius
\nSujata said that on the rare occasion people were prosecuted and
\nfound guilty, sentences were light.<\/p>\n
"It has been systemic," said Antonius, now the National
\nOmbudsman Commission chairman.<\/p>\n
National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Ahmad Basyir Barmawi said
\nthat it was not easy to judge personal accountability of police
\nofficers handling such cases.<\/p>\n
"But we always follow up any reports," he said.<\/p>\n
Leo suggested authorities apply press laws to protect freedom
\nof the press.<\/p>\n
"Journalists must be treated as a neutral party such as Red
\nCross members during the war," he said.<\/p>",
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