`Can't people be more civilized?'

`Can't people be more civilized?'

On Saturday some 200 henchmen attacked the Tempo office in
Central Jakarta due to anger over an article in the magazine.
This is part of a series of mob attacks on the media that have
been reported since 2000. The use of intimidation and violence
against members of the press has sparked condemnation from the
journalist community. The Jakarta Post asked some people for
their opinion in response to the violence.

Wasroni, 67, a refuse recycler residing in Jakarta. His wife
and two children live in Pekalongan, Central Java:

I don't like violence against journalists. In my opinion,
journalists, in general, are innocent. They just search for
information.

I admit that I'm ignorant but I know of many things that are
happening in the city and the country because of information
provided by the newspaper. I never had a formal education, but I
have been learning to read by years of studying the newspaper.
How can I understand the recent situation in the country if I
don't read newspapers or magazines.

I hope it doesn't sound like nonsense, but truly I respect
journalists. I realize that journalists struggle hard to side
with homeless people like me. I feel that they often fight for
the poor.

Without the press, we would not know how the government
performs their daily duties, or how far the government sides with
the people.

I'm of the opinion that nobody should assault any journalist
for any reason because they are sources of information to the
people. I hate such violence.

I remember that Indonesia's first president, Sukarno, told the
people to respect journalists. I saw for myself, when a
journalist was welcomed in my village and he was carried on
people's shoulders. However, former President Soeharto totally
changed press freedoms and attitudes toward the press.

Upon observing the Tempo attack, I think the media is not
guilty at all. It is the mastermind behind the attack that should
be blamed.

I can't see why those protesters were acting that harsh in
responding to a story. There must be a more civilized way to
reconcile with each other, I think. Why don't they see that the
journalists always struggle for the low income people like them?

Katiran, 30, a cigarette vendor that resides in the Roxy area
with his fellow vendors. His wife and son live in East Java:

I take pity on the journalists who always do something good
for people but yet always become victims of violence.

Personally, I like journalists because they help us a lot by
providing useful information.

In my opinion, journalists from all types of media are not
guilty, but why are they treated inappropriately by the
government apparatus and their angry mobs? They just do their
jobs in a professional manner to get information out to the
public.

I even feel that the low income people like me should show
them deep gratitude because they always fight for poor peoples'
interests.

They don't deserve any sort of brutality, I'm sure. Poor
journalists!

Johnson Panjaitan, 39, a lawyer for the Indonesian Legal aid
and Human Rights Association. He resides in Tangerang, Banten
with his wife and son:

I'm very concerned about the recent incidents of brutality
against the media.

I think the violence is becoming more systematic. The
displeased party will easily threaten or intimidate not only the
reporters but also the media company owners.

I think that the rampant violence against journalists is due
in large part to impotent law enforcement. The police didn't have
the courage or didn't care to take serious measures to stop the
recent attack at Tempo magazine.

They are inclined to side with the violators, if I may say.
Worse, they even become part of the mob violence, as they
frequently have beaten journalists also.

I think the city police are also abused by these uncivilized
mobs. I heard that some of the attackers were just mocking the
riot police for being impotent, probably because the mob's boss
had bribed certain officials.

You can see how the police now have lost their power,
credibility and authoritative bearing because they are getting
bought off by certain people any time someone with enough money
to hire thugs feels insulted.

I'm sure that intimidation and violence against press freedoms
will start to destroy democracy and the public's right to
information.

I don't see any easy solution to the violence against the
press here. Only when the police are free of corrupt officers and
the government has the intelligence and the will to stop it, will
it get better. There needs to be respect for the existing press
freedom in our society.

-- Leo Wahyudi S