Freedom of the press needs law enforcement

Freedom of the press needs law enforcement

A'an Suryana and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

It was 9 p.m, and the journalists at Rakyat Merdeka daily were finishing their reports. Suddenly, a senior editor called everyone into the meeting room. The editor explained that he had just received a telephone call from a group claiming to be PDI Perjuangan (Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle) supporters.

The message was loud and clear: Be prepared to be attacked the next morning.

The daily had just run a headline story with People's Consultative Assembly speaker Amien Rais calling President Megawati Soekarnoputri, who is also Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle chairperson, "shortsighted" by letting the supposedly unpopular privatization drive continue.

It was decided during the meeting that the editors would "meet" with the protesters next morning.

The parking lot was also ordered to be cleared to anticipate the arrival of five Metromini buses carrying the protesters.

Sudarto, a journalist at this often controversial paper, later said that this had become a common occurrence.

In fact, he claimed that PDI Perjuangan supporters were the most frequent "visitors" to the editorial office.

Despite the frequency, it still worries the minds of many reporters.

"We're still anxious that the crowd could suddenly get out of control," Sudarto told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

Tragically, such events have become commonplace and are often accompanied by physical abuse, and sometimes even torture and murder.

Recently, at least 20 Military Police officers raided the offices of the Parepos daily in South Sulawesi after it ran a story about a member of the force who was allegedly involved in a drug case.

Worse still has been the experiences of journalists in riot- torn areas, such as Poso in Central Sulawesi and Aceh.

I Wayan Sumariasane of Poso Pos daily was found dead on June 3. His body, full of stab wounds and placed in a gunny sack, was found floating in a river in the area.

It is indeed sad that such incidents have become more frequent since the onset of the "reform" era, which is supposedly marked by a greater recognition of press freedom.

The inevitable question is why are such blatant acts of intimidation and violence occurring in an era of supposedly greater openness, an era in which the government has proclaimed its commitment to upholding press freedom and seen the position of the press enshrined in various laws.

The answer may be in simple public ignorance or even distrust of the law.

Instead of taking what they perceive as slanderous reports to court, people often take the law into their own hands.

Some may feel that the legal route, which is already dogged by continuing uncertainty and lack of credibility, is too costly and tedious.

Whatever the reasons, the outcome is that the press has become the target of intimidation, threats and, even worse, murder.

As press activist Aristides Katoppo has put it, "the lack of respect for the rule of law has weakened freedom of the press."

Sudarto, who lives with the consequences of this daily, conceded that intimidation was affecting the way journalists reported their stories.

"Psychologically we are not free. We're afraid of suddenly losing our jobs after we run a story which may be considered slanderous by some," he said.

"Or worse, we could be assaulted by those dissatisfied with our stories."

On the other hand, many have also argued that the media has gone beyond the bounds of acceptability in its disregard of journalistic principles.

Some have also lamented what they perceive to be attempts at character assassination through opinionated news stories and caricatures. They argue that the media has gone beyond the norms of journalistic license, and is publishing stories that run counter to "local norms".

Micky, the leader of the mob of PDI Perjuangan supporters who flooded the Rakyat Merdeka's offices, was one such person.

"We understand the need for criticism by the press of the head of state. But the use of the word 'shortsighted' was improper. Megawati's reputation was put at stake," he insisted.

The problem is a delicate one.

The press maintains that it should be free to express itself, but others claim that the press should not publish stories that are out of proportion, and should respect so-called prevailing "social norms".

Respected press figure Goenawan Mohammad believes this invisible line should be defined by law.

"The law should be used to provide a fair resolution for both sides. Should the public consider an article to be slanderous, they should go to court," he said.

Easier said than done. Especially when Indonesia's legal system is mistrusted by the people.

But it is the route that must be traveled, though currently less taken.

As Solahudin from the Alliance of Independent Journalist (AJI) put it on Friday: "Continued intimidation will only lead to censorship of the press, which could undermine the function of the press in controlling the regime and society. Should this happen, democracy in the country will be put at stake."