Harmoko has 2 weeks to respond to `Tempo'

Harmoko has 2 weeks to respond to `Tempo'

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Information Harmoko has been given
two more weeks by the Jakarta State Administrative Court to
respond to charges by a senior journalist that his action to ban
Tempo magazine in June was illegal.

A court session was originally scheduled to hear Harmoko's
defense yesterday, but his lawyer R. Wiyono said that his client
needed more time to respond to the lawsuit filed by Goenawan
Mohammad, the proprietor of the closed weekly.

"We are not ready to deliver our defense statement today,"
Wiyono told the court.

Judge Benjamin Mangkoedilaga, the court's chief, who is also
trying the case, agreed to a postponement, but warned that this
would be the last one because the defendant has had since Oct. 21
to prepare

Harmoko, who has encouraged Tempo to take the legal course to
settle the issue, was not present at the hearing yesterday.

"If he cannot meet the deadline on Nov. 18, the court will not
grant him another opportunity," Judge Benjamin told his lawyers.
"Beyond that, the defendant will be waiving his right to defend
himself."

Tempo, Indonesia's most established current affairs weekly,
lost its license in June along with two other publications,
Editor and Detik. Tempo was closed because of certain aspects of
its editorial content, although the government never
categorically stated the articles that were deemed to be
offensive. Editor and Detik were shut down for administrative
reasons.

Goenawan filed a lawsuit against Harmoko in September, calling
for a review of the revocation of the license and permission for
Tempo to resume publication.

The lawsuit states that the information minister had abused
his power by making a one-sided accusation that Tempo did not
adhere to the standards of a healthy and responsible press. It
also challenged the minister's remarks that Tempo was banned for
the sake of national stability.

"The news reported by Tempo and other media did not disturb
national stability, security or order. The situation remained
stable, safe and orderly and the development program has
continued."

Many observers believe the trial has only academic interest
given that the magazine's assets have already been dismantled and
the majority of its employees have joined forces with timber
tycoon Mohammad (Bob) Hasan to establish a new magazine called
Gatra, which will begin publication later this month.

Another group of former Tempo employees is also in the process
of establishing their own magazine to be called Berita. (imn)