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)