Press turn against own organization for backing bans<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Reporters vented their fury over the press ban
\nat the Association of Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI)
\nfor expressing its \"understanding\" of the government's action.<\/p>\n
About 100 banner-waving reporters and activists marched to the
\nassociation's premises in Central Jakarta and urged Minister of
\nInformation Harmoko to lift the ban.<\/p>\n
While expressing its concern over the bans and the fates of
\nthose at the weeklies who lost their jobs, PWI has said it \"could
\nunderstand\" the government's crackdown on the press.<\/p>\n
The protesters said the association should tell the government
\nthat the press ban has created public unrest rather than
\nstrengthen national stability as was intended.<\/p>\n
The protesters, mostly clad in black T-shirts, gathered
\noutside the Press Council building in Central Jakarta after being
\ndenied entry by PWI secretary general Parni Hadi on the grounds
\nthat the building's parking lot was too small to accommodate
\nthem.<\/p>\n
Dozens of anti-riot police armed with clubs and shields stayed
\nalert near the Press Council building, blocking the protesters'
\nway into the compound. No untoward incident occurred however.<\/p>\n
The journalists were among the more than 300 from Jakarta and
\nother cities throughout Indonesia who signed the petition
\ndeploring last month's bans on Tempo, DeTIK and Editor magazines.<\/p>\n
Tempo lost its publishing license for its editorial content
\nwhile DeTIK and Editor lost theirs because their operations
\nviolated the terms of the licenses. The government claims that
\nthe magazines had ignored repeated warnings.<\/p>\n
Five representatives of the journalists met with Parni Hadi,
\nsecretary of the PWI, member of the association's honorary
\ncouncil, R.H. Siregar, and coordinator of PWI's welfare section
\nSondang Meliala to present their petition.<\/p>\n
The journalists said through a statement that they deplore the
\nbans and are disappointed by the stance of PWI's caretakers who
\nhad said they \"understand\" the bans.<\/p>\n
\"We deplore the revocation of the publishing licenses which
\nabuses the institution, profession and existence of journalism,
\nmore so amid all the slogans on openness and human rights
\ncurrently heard in this country,\" said the statement. \"The
\ndecisions are unjust. We are concerned that the muzzling of the
\nthree media will have a prolonged effect.\"<\/p>\n
They also called for an end to the practice of allowing the
\nMinister and Director General for Press and Graphics to hold the
\nrespective posts of chairman and secretary of the Press Council.<\/p>\n
During a hearing at the House of Representatives (DPR),
\nHarmoko rejected calls to reverse his decision to ban the
\nmagazines, saying that the government could issue new licenses to
\nthem.<\/p>\n
Harmoko said that the move was legal and consistent with the
\n1982 Press Law, adding that reversing the decisions would run
\ncounter to the law.<\/p>\n
Satrio Arismunandar, a delegation member, told his anxious
\ncolleagues after the 90-minute meeting that PWI executives agreed
\nthat the Press Law contains ambiguities.<\/p>\n
\"PWI promises to help the struggle for our demands,\" said
\nSatrio, a reporter of Kompas daily.<\/p>\n
The four other delegates are Maria Hartiningsih (Kompas),
\nBenny Harman (Media Indonesia daily), Meirizal Zulkarnain and
\nHasudungan Sirait (both are reporters of Bisnis Indonesia daily).<\/p>\n
Hartiningsih disclosed that the meeting ended hastily with
\nmany issues left unresolved, \"The security people kept telling
\nPWI executives that things were getting hot outside, and that the
\nnegotiations should end quickly.\"<\/p>\n
PWI's central executive board said that it was concerned about
\nthe employees of the banned magazines. It urged \"all parties\" to
\nhelp create a favorable situation so that new licenses could be
\nissued quickly.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile yesterday, in an open letter addressed to President
\nSoeharto regarding the ban, the Bandung-based Institute for
\nStrategic and Islamic Studies said the revocations would only
\nmake the journalists afraid to report the truth.<\/p>\n
Also yesterday, the Nusantara Legal Aid Foundation protested
\nagainst the ban during a solidarity meeting for the three banned
\nmagazines conducted by the Christian Student Movement (GMKI) in
\nBandung on Monday. The fate of an activist arrested by the
\nauthorities in the meeting was also not known, said the
\nfoundation. (team)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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