Harvard's award for Goenawan

Harvard's award for Goenawan

CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts (DPA): Harvard University announced
Wednesday its 1997 prize for Conscience and Integrity in
Journalism will go to an Indonesian magazine editor who has been
banned from publishing by the government.

The award by the university's Nieman Foundation cites Goenawan
Mohamad for his commitment to freedom of expression in Indonesia
during the past 20 years.

Goenawan's magazine, Tempo, was shut down in 1994 and its
entire staff banned from journalism after it published an
investigative report alleging government corruption in the
purchase of aging destroyers from the former East Germany.

The foundation said although blacklisted Goenawan has
continued to campaign for press freedom, and inspired other
journalists to continue the fight for a "truly democratic
Indonesia".

Harvard said Goenawan still publishes a version of Tempo on
the Internet and has launched several independent press
organizations which continue to criticize the government's strict
control of the news media.

The award, to be presented to Goenawan May 6, is named after
the late American journalist Louis Lyons, who headed the Nieman
Foundation for 25 years.