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.