'ANteve' questioned over GAM interview
'ANteve' questioned over GAM interview
JAKARTA (JP): National Police detectives questioned on
Wednesday a news manager of private television station ANteve
concerning its interview with Tengku Abdulah Syafi'i, commander
of the armed wing of the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM).
None of the police officers, including spokesman Brig. Gen.
Togar M. Sianipar, were willing to comment on the questioning.
In the summons, the police named news manager Bachtiar as a
witness in the case, which could fall under the definition of
threatening national unity.
Police have named Askarmin Zaini, ANteve chief news editor, as
the only suspect so far.
Azkarmin could be charged under Article 64 of Law No. 24 1997
on broadcasting, which carries a maximum sentence of a seven-year
jail term or Rp 700 million fine.
The five-minute interview with Syafi'i, who heads AGAM, was
aired by the TV station on Aug. 23 in its one-hour newsmagazine
show Fakta.
A police officer, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said
that the National Police were "hurt" by the interview because
they were unable to locate Syafi'i despite exhaustive efforts.
"Our intelligence officers in Aceh continually report to us
that Tengku (Syafi'i) is somewhere in the jungles of Aceh. How
reporters actually got to him is still a mystery to us."
The source added that reporters should work closely with
police on matters involving wanted individuals.
"Where is the reporters' sense of nationalism?" the senior
police officer said.
Speaking after the three-hour questioning, Bachtiar said the
broadcast apparently "hurt the sentiments of the Indonesian
government.
"As a result, Azkarmin has been declared a suspect in the
case," Bachtiar said at the headquarters of the Indonesian
Television Journalists Association (IJTI) in Pejompongan, Central
Jakarta.
He said the questioning mainly centered on common subjects,
such as his personal data.
"It looks like they're not even serious about the whole
thing."
Bachtiar was accompanied during the questioning by lawyer
Johnson Panjaitan of the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights
Association.
"So far, our reporter Agi Aisnani and cameraman M. Achmani who
did the interview have not been named suspects. This whole case
is outrageous," he added.
Other media
Bachtiar noted that other private TV stations RCTI and SCTV
also aired interviews with Syafi'i.
"Even Media Indonesia, Kompas, The Jakarta Post and Asiaweek
published interviews with Syafi'i long before us."
Bachtiar said one of the officers conducting the interrogation
used a copy of the transcript of the interview with passages
highlighted.
"The statements included Syafi'i's reactions, like, 'Why would
Aceh want to reach a compromise with Indonesia, when Aceh is not
a part of Indonesia?'"
"Or, 'despite Habibie's promises, violence and oppression is
still widespread in Aceh, and Army officers exercising the
oppression have been promoted as a result'."
Azkarmin, who also attended the news briefing in Pejompongan,
said the case was ironic.
"I'm a member of the House of Representatives (DPR) team
currently working on the draft bill of the new Press Law. I've
been fighting hard against a recommendation of the Armed Forces
faction for the bill."
The faction, Azkarmin said, wanted to add an article stating
that if broadcast or print news was inaccurate and not balanced,
the publisher or TV station could be fined up to Rp 500 million.
The faction did not define the meaning of "accurate and
balanced".
Bachtiar said that he advised the interrogating officers to
consider the entire Fakta program because it also included an
interview with Armed Forces Commander/Minister of Defense and
Security Gen. Wiranto.
"It was balanced reporting... we waited eight days to get
Gen. Wiranto's interview before airing the episode."
Johnson said: "The government wants to try to scare the media
through the reach of the National Police instead.
"SCTV and RCTI will be summoned next." (ylt)