'Bernas' journalist gets award posthumously

'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)