Harmoko tells PWI to report rival group members
Harmoko tells PWI to report rival group members
SEMARANG (JP): Minister of Information Harmoko is urging all government-accredited journalists to turn in to the authorities any member of the unrecognized Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) who distributes its unlicensed newsletter Independen.
Harmoko reiterated that the Association of Indonesian Journalists (PWI) is the only organization of local journalists that is sanctioned by the government.
"Establishing another organization is in violation of the law because PWI is the only legal body (for journalists)," he told The Jakarta Post last week.
"I call on PWI members to report any reporter claiming to be an AJI member or activist that distributes Independen," he said.
Harmoko stressed that the establishment of AJI by some 80 dissenting journalists was a futile exercise "because the authorities will ban it anyway".
AJI was established last August out of dissatisfaction with the PWI and their failure to act when the information ministry revoked the licenses of three major news weeklies -- Tempo, Editor and DeTik -- in June last year.
Three AJI activists were recently arrested in Jakarta for distributing and selling the newsletter Independen, which is highly critical of the government.
"That magazine is illegal because it has no license from the government and so the decision to arrest (the activists) was justifiable," he claimed.
He warned journalists residing outside of Jakarta against trying to maintain the existence of the newsletter. "They will have to contend with the authorities because that publication is clearly prohibited," Harmoko said.
The minister went on with his harsh criticism of journalists who misuse their profession to "extort" people, calling them "hoodlums."
"When we find such reporters," Harmoko advised, "we should all work together to eliminate them because they are the ones tarnishing the reputation of PWI."
All PWI members, he reminded, should uphold press code ethics and professional standards. (har/swe)