American publishers deplore censorship
JAKARTA (JP): A visiting delegation from the Association of American Publishers yesterday called for an end to censorship in Indonesia and more respect for writers' and journalists' rights to express their views without fear of intimidation.
After a week-long stay here, Wendy Wolf, the chair of the Association's International Freedom to Publish Committee, expressed the delegation's concern about restrictions on writers and journalists in Indonesia.
She said that while it was encouraging to see people talking openly about restrictions on freedom of expression, it was troubling to see "three journalists sitting in a prison in Cirebon for their reporting and more than 2,000 books banned from circulation."
Wendy was referring to Eko Maryadi, Ahmad Taufik -- both from the unrecognized Aliance of Independent Journalists -- and Triagus Siswowihardjo from Pijar foundation.
The association's 11 member delegation came here to study freedom of expression in Indonesia.
The delegation includes fiction writer Barbara Thompson Davis, novelist Lawrence Thornton, novelist and anthropologist at Colombia University Amitav Ghosh and Editor-in-Chief of William Morrow and Company William Schwalbe.
During their stay they met many people, including fellow writers, journalists and academics. They also met the National Human Rights Commission and the Indonesian Publishers Association.
However government officials seemed reluctant to see them. Attorney General Singgih refused to meet the group and Minister of Education and Culture Wardiman Djojonegoro canceled an already-scheduled meeting.
"In many countries, repressive governments censor books for content which they fear may incite public unrest. In Indonesia books are censored not only for what they contain but for who their authors are," Wendy said, adding that "the culture of fear often leads too often to self-censorship."
The delegation said that the conditions, in which government offices like the Attorney General's Office could ban publications, bred a climate of fear where publishers refused to print "critical" books, booksellers refused to sell them and people were even afraid to have the books in their homes.
Particular concern was expressed for those under various restrictions, such as the famous writer, Pramoedya Ananta Toer, who suffers travel and publication bans.
The publishers delegation said that during their meetings they heard about very real, ominous problems that writers encounter in everyday life. These included censorship, books being banned, people being harassed for reading the books and of academics being cramped in their intellectual pursuits.
"All which are unacceptable practices in the international community of words and ideas," said Wendy who is also a senior editor with Penguin U.S.A..
"Perhaps most distressing of all, we heard about words that are no longer written or spoken because writers are either afraid to write what they think, or because someone has told them that they cannot," she remarked.
The delegation said that after the trip it would meet U.S. government officials and businesses to inform them about the state of freedom of expression in Indonesia. (mds)