Debtors on trial

Debtors on trial
by the press

The media play a critical role in the perception of facts.
Human interest, emotion, alleged disclosures, and so on are
potent forces that the media thrive upon. Credibility and honesty
are critical and should be our highest priority.

Consider this example. A national publication reported last
May 2002: Sjamsul kosongkan kas BDNI sebelum terima BLBI(Kompas,
May 27) or Sjamsul emptied BDNI cash box before receiving
liquidity funds, and Paksa badan penilap BLBI (Investor No. 56) ,
meaning Detain the corruptors of BLBI funds.

In the first example, the report said that BDNI was
transferring funds to 10 offshore tax havens before the
government provided to BDNI liquidity support from the Indonesian
Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA). The national media only
interviewed Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) without the public
(the readers') access to positive coverage and balanced
reporting. For example, has IBRA or the source at the Attorney
General's Office officially questioned BDNI management about the
alleged misuse of IBRA funds? Until now, a team has been
appointed by the government to identify IBRA's uncooperative and
cooperative debtors from among the 35 IBRA debtors. The team also
will recommend what legal action is to be taken on debtors -- all
former bankers, who owe the government some US$10 billion in
emergency liquidity loans. So, in this case and the others, the
mass media should not create confusion for the public, through
trial by press, or a character assassination, but present fair
and objective reporting in this reformation era and in the
future.

SERVAS PANDUR
Tangerang, Banten