Community leaders unite to denounce thuggery

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Community leaders, politicians and journalists joined hands on Friday to condemn the practice of thuggery, exemplified recently by supporters of businessman Tomy Winata who attacked the office and journalists of Tempo weekly magazine.

Calling the attack an act of terrorism, they urged the nation to join hands to eradicate thuggery and resolve the Tempo case through legal means.

Over 100 people claiming to represent Tomy Winata besieged the office of Tempo last Saturday, demanding the newsmagazine reveal the source of its report that Tomy Winata had submitted a proposal to renovate a section of the Tanah Abang market before it was gutted by fire in mid-February.

During a tense dialog with Tempo journalists, one of the protesters hurled a tissue box, injuring a journalist.

The protesters also forced Tempo journalists, including chief editor Bambang Harymurti, to go to the Central Jakarta Police station, where they were shoved by Tommy Winata's supporters.

The incident has been condemned by journalists, prodemocracy campaigners and politicians in the House of Representatives.

Dozens of veteran journalists, advocates and politicians met with People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Amien Rais on Friday to seek moral support for the campaign against thuggery, especially the incident at Tempo.

Noted lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis, who led the delegation, said the use of thugs to protest the Tempo story posed a serious threat to the freedom of the press.

"This indicates a conspiracy between the authorities and the capital. This shows a conspiracy between thuggery and bureaucracy. This will threaten the freedom of the press," said Todung, urging the National Police to launch an investigation of the incident.

Also present at the meeting were veteran journalists Fikri Jufri, Bambang Harymurti, Susanto Pudjomartono and Goenawan Mohammad, columnists Harry Tjan Silalahi, Lin Che Wei, Rahman Tolleng and Ulil Abshar-Abdalla, politicians Meilono Suwondo and Hidayat Nurwahid, advocate Nono Anwar Makarim, women's activist Nursyahbani Katjasungkana, and social activists Sudirman and Rosita Noer.

The group demanded the formation of a committee of inquiry to look into the incident because, according to them, the police were too afraid to investigate the matter.

Harry Tjan Silalahi of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies denied race had anything to do with the matter, as claimed by an aide of Tomy, who is Chinese-Indonesian.

He called on the nation not to believe claims that the matter had racial overtones, saying this would only create more problems.

"This is a legal violation, therefore it must be solved through legal measures," he said.

In Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi, a prodemocracy group called on the local community to oppose plans by Tomy Winata to invest in the province.

"Although the province is in dire need of investment, it is more important to keep the province free from violence," the group said in a statement.

Tomy's Artha Graha Group has reportedly signed a memorandum of understanding with Southeast Sulawesi Governor Ali Mazi on an investment deal in the province worth Rp 1 trillion (US$110 million), Antara reported on Friday.

The International Federation of Journalists also condemned the Tempo attack and urged the government to launch a full investigation into the incident in order to ensure the freedom of the press and to guarantee the safety of Indonesian journalists.

Meanwhile, women's activist Nursyahbani said sidewalk vendors and pedicab drivers were daily victims of thuggery.

"If the nation is not serious in dealing with the case of Tempo, the country's fragile democracy will be threatened," she said.

Hidayat Nurwahid, head of the Justice Party (PK), said the laws passed by legislators would be worthless unless the practice of thuggery was stopped.

He added that there would never be a democratic Indonesia if political parties collaborated with thugs.

Amien Rais branded the attack on Tempo magazine an act of terrorism.

"Thuggery relates to the capital and political interests. It is not an exaggeration to say that the government shares power with the mafia. This mafia controls the antidemocracy network," Amien said.

Separately, the deputy chairman of the House's information commission, Effendy Choirie, said his commission would hear information on Monday from those involved in the Tempo case, including Tomy Winata, representatives of Tempo magazine and the Press Council.