Rights talks proceed in face of intimidation<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A discussion on press and human rights held to
\ncommemorate International Human Rights Day on Saturday Dec. 10
\nwent as planned even though security authorities tried to cancel
\nthe meeting.<\/p>\n
The various techniques used in attempts to shut down the
\nmeeting ranged from a request to the owner of the building in
\nwhich it was held to stop the discussion to a number of
\n\"obstructions\", including an electricity blackout.<\/p>\n
\"Authorities from the South Jakarta police precinct asked
\nofficers of the Indonesian Association of Family Planning, which
\nowns the discussion venue, to cancel the get-together but the
\nrequest was turned down,\" Syarif Bastaman, a member of the
\norganizing committee, said.<\/p>\n
Bastaman is the chairman of the newly established Indonesian
\nSociety for Human Rights Information and Advocacy (Pernia).<\/p>\n
Local police officers had abruptly dispersed a discussion on
\nland problems organized by the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation at
\nthe same structure, the PKBI building, on Jl. Hang Jebat III,
\nSouth Jakarta, in September.<\/p>\n
No officers dispersed the discussion during Saturday's
\nmeeting, although people attending said someone had tried to turn
\nthem away when they came, telling them that the event had been
\ncancelled.<\/p>\n
\"The police did not want to directly cancel the discussion,
\nbut requested us to cancel it by ourselves,\" Bastaman said.<\/p>\n
One area police officer insisted that the people responsible
\nfor holding the meeting had neglected to get the required
\npermits.<\/p>\n
\"However, I told him permits are not required for all
\ndiscussions,\" Bastaman said, adding that he had been involved in
\norganizing a number of prior events at the building without any
\ntrouble.<\/p>\n
The event went on as planned even though there seemed to be
\ntrouble with the electricity, which people attending suspected
\nwas deliberate.<\/p>\n
During the discussion, which began at 1 p.m., the microphones
\nwent off at 2:15 p.m.. Five minutes later, this was followed by
\nan electricity blackout in the room, which affected the air
\nconditioning.<\/p>\n
\"However, electricity was on in the next room, where the
\nDirectorate General of Medicine and Food Supervision of the
\nMinistry of Health was holding a function,\" said Stanley, a
\nparticipant.<\/p>\n
\"I thank the PKBI management for still letting us talk here
\nalthough the air conditioner was no longer on,\" said Goenawan
\nMohamad, one of the speakers, as he fanned himself.<\/p>\n
Speakers expected at the meeting included Surya Paloh, owner
\nof the Media Indonesia daily and Abdurrahman Wahid, re-elected
\nleader of the Nahdlatul Ulama organization. However, only
\nGoenawan, former chief editor of the banned Tempo weekly magazine
\nand law professor Loebby Loqman showed up.<\/p>\n
Incapable<\/p>\n
Touching on the press bans, Loqman noted that \"holders of law
\ndegrees here are mostly incapable of making laws\".<\/p>\n
He cited the conflicts between the Press Law, which rules out
\nbanning, and the 1984 Ministerial Regulation, which justifies the
\ncancellation of publication permits.<\/p>\n
\"Given these conflicting rulings, the journalistic code of
\nethics must be mainly based on a reporters' conscience,\" Loqman
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Gunawan said he was concerned that such discussions mostly
\ninvolve people who have heard a lot about press freedom. \"It's a
\nwaste of energy,\" he said. (anr)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/rights-talks-proceed-in-face-of-intimidation-1447893297",
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