Govt to sue 'D&R' magazine for defaming Soeharto

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Information R. Hartono said yesterday the government would sue Detektif dan Romantika (D&R) weekly over its controversial cover despite an apology from the magazine's executives.

"It's not that easy (to just apologize). We live in a state that is ruled by law. All violations against the law must be settled in court," Hartono said on the sidelines of a People's Consultative Assembly session.

Hartono was referring to D&R executive Bambang Bujono who apologized to the government Wednesday for issuing its latest edition with a cover portraying President Soeharto as the king of spades.

Bambang said the cover was not intended to disgrace the President.

Hartono refused yesterday to disclose the accusations to be leveled against the magazine, saying it would be at the discretion of the court.

He added that the ministry had given the magazine a written warning early yesterday.

Later in the day, the honorary board of the Press Council met to decide the punitive measures to be taken against the magazine.

Head of the board Sjamsul Basri said it would look into possible violations of the journalist's code of ethics. But he doubted the case would lead to the banning of the magazine.

Alwi Dahlan, an honorary member of the Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI), was quoted by Antara as saying last night that the board had asked PWI to suspend D&R's chief editor for violating the code of ethics.

PWI chairman Sofjan Lubis said the association's honorary board would summon executives of the magazine so they could explain the reasons for publishing the controversial cover.

Many people found it difficult yesterday to buy the magazine following the government's reprimand.

The scarcity caused the magazine to soar in price, with some kiosks and street vendors in Surabaya selling it for Rp 50,000, almost eight times higher than its standard price of Rp 6,300.

Outgoing Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono joined the chorus of criticism against the magazine yesterday, saying Soeharto did not deserve such treatment.

"The President is a person who always respects state institutions. Therefore I deplore people whose attitudes denigrate any state institution," Moerdiono said.

When asked for his opinion about the magazine, he said he had never read it and did not want to waste his time discussing it.

Legal expert Lobby Loeqman supported the government's plan to sue the weekly, saying that the lawsuit would teach the press that it was accountable for what it published.

"I tend to reject an out-of-court settlement because we are responsible for making the national press mature. Out-of-court settlements will allow room for collusion," Lobby, a professor of law at state-run Indonesia University, said.

The magazine could be accused of defaming the President, a crime that carries a maximum of six years imprisonment under the Criminal Code, he said.

The same charge was leveled against sacked legislator Sri Bintang Pamungkas, who is serving a 34-month sentence at Cipinang Penitentiary in East Jakarta. He was jailed in May 1996.

Lobby said D&R's chief editor should be held responsible for the alleged defamation, although the Press Law allows the top executive to skip the legal proceedings and instead target staff members.

In his capacity as a member of the Press Council's honorary board, Lobby said he regretted that the magazine ignored the ethics but promised to defend it from a press ban.

"I'll push for a court settlement because the court cannot revoke a publication's license," he said, adding that the magazine did not commit an offense that could cost it its license.

Minister of Information Harmoko issued in 1984 a controversial decree that allows him to revoke the license of a publication for its content or administrative offenses. The Press Law, which was passed in 1982, does not recommend a press ban.

Four weeklies -- Monitor, Tempo, Editor and DeTik -- and two dailies -- Sinar Harapan and Prioritas -- have fallen victim to the decree.

Foundation of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute called on the government not to ban the D&R magazine, saying that the measure was a violation of the Press Law.

In a release made available to The Jakarta Post yesterday, the foundation defended the magazine's choice of cover and criticized the government's warning which it said discouraged democracy and freedom of speech.

"We believe that the government's action against D&R does not only deal with the cover, but its will to put pressure and control on the press and the dispatch of critical information to the public," the statement, signed by the foundation's executives Dadang Trisasongko and Munir, said. (jun/byg/amd/nur)