Public warned of co-opted press<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Three prominent Indonesian scholars are warning
\nthe public to beware of passively accepting everything they read
\nin news publications because some of them may have been co-opted
\nby vested interests.<\/p>\n
"To all members of society, we appeal that you be more
\ncritical towards the institution of the press, so that you may
\ndistinguish between the press media which have been co-opted by
\nthe system imposed by those in power and the press which truly
\nseeks to build as a public institution," Umar Kayam, Ishadi
\nSiregar and Emha Ainun Najib said in a joint statement
\ndistributed to the press.<\/p>\n
The statement, entitled End of the Year 1994 Statement on the
\nState of the Culture, was initially presented to the public at
\nthe Senisono Art Center in Yogyakarta on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
It said that as far as cultural development goes, 1994 has
\nbeen worse than earlier years.<\/p>\n
The three men are known for their critical approaches to the
\ngovernment. Umar is an expert on literature, Ashadi is an expert
\nin communication and Emha is a writer and poet.<\/p>\n
To illustrate their point on the development of the press,
\nthey pointed out the closure of three weekly magazines in June
\nthis year. They view the banning as an attempt to bring the press
\nunder absolute control.<\/p>\n
"The banning, whatever reasons may have been given, terminated
\nthe rights of the people to take part in political life," they
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
They charged that the government's efforts to control the
\npress have brought people into a situation colored by "the
\nculture of injustice" in information and communication.<\/p>\n
"The opportunities to create and develop the institution of
\ninformation is in the hands of a few people who gain special
\nrights from the power holders," they said. "There is inequality
\nin the way information is dispersed."<\/p>\n
They urged publications to make every effort to become
\ninformation institutions that treat and serve the public as if
\nthey have the right to fair information.<\/p>\n
They warned journalists not to let the press become a
\nsubordinate of the powers that be.<\/p>\n
They called on the government to show serious commitment to
\nsupporting the fair distribution of information by respecting the
\nright of people to establish press institutions. (sim)<\/p>",
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