'Bernas' journalist gets award posthumously
JAKARTA (JP): A slain journalist and a detained printer accused of defaming President Soeharto won the Suardi Tasrif Award Saturday for promoting the freedom of the press.
The award was presented by Satrio Arismunandar, a member of the award committee, during a gathering of journalists to commemorate the 1,000 days since the closure of weeklies Tempo, Editor, and DeTik on June 21, 1994.
The late Fuad Muhammad Syafruddin, a journalist at the Yogyakarta-based Bernas daily, was murdered last year for his critical reports on local administration. Andi Syahputra was convicted of defaming the head of state by printing an unlicensed, critical magazine, Suara Independen.
Fuad's daughter, Zulaikha Dito Khrisna, received the award on his behalf, while Andi was represented by his wife, Patriyuni.
Fuad's widow, Marsiyem, was unable to attend because of poor health, Satrio said.
Fuad, better known as Udin, died on Aug. 16, 1996, after he was assaulted at his house in Bantul regency, Yogyakarta on Aug. 13.
Andi is serving his 30 months jail term in Cipinang penitentiary in East Jakarta.
Patriyuni said she was consoled by the award as it showed that her sorrow was shared by other people. "I feel that I am not alone in carrying the burden," said Patriyuni, a mother of two small children.
Also on Saturday, senior journalist Atmakusumah Astraatmadja presented the Institute of Information Study (ISAI) award to three campus publications. They are the Hayamwuruk magazine of Diponegoro University in Semarang, Central Java, the Balairung magazine of Yogyakarta's Gadjah Mada University and Warta Ubaya a tabloid of Surabaya University in East Java.
The committee also awarded special appreciation to three publications for their special issues.
The special publications were Niat, of the Jakarta Social Institute, which covers street children issues and Suara Satwa of the school of veterinary science of Udayana University in Denpasar, Bali, on animal issues.
The third was Mambie, published by the Anak Rantau Foundation in Ujungpandang, South Sulawesi, for its special coverage on the daily routines of people of the lower social economic class.
The commemoration featured a discussion on the recent appointment of the new minister of information and what would likely by his mission which featured journalist Eros Djarot and observers Daniel Dhakidae and Ashadi Siregar. The discussion was led by talk show host Wimar Witoelar.
Dhakidae said that despite government officials' promises not to ban arbitrarily, there was no guarantee that no more press ban would occur.
"Unless the 1984 Ministerial Decree is revoked, there's no guarantee that the press will be free from banning," he said, referring to a decree that empowers the minister of information to revoke a publishing license. (05)