Community leaders unite to denounce thuggery

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.