Journalists complain to police over banning

Journalists complain to police over banning

JAKARTA (JP): Three journalists prohibited from covering
activities at the Attorney General's Office filed a complaint at
the National Police Headquarters in South Jakarta on Thursday,
urging police to investigate the ban.

The three banned journalists -- Bambang Wahyu from Kompas
daily, Driantama from television station RCTI and Roy Tumpal
Pakpahan from the Suara Bangsa afternoon newspaper -- were
received by police Capt. TP Damanik at the headquarters.

"We ask the police to investigate alleged criminal actions
behind the ban," Roy told reporters after filing the complaint.

The complaint was directed mainly at three officials, namely
Attorney General Andi M. Ghalib, the office's general affairs
manager Zainuddin Jahisa and security coordinator B.S. Guntur,
who directly or indirectly ordered the ban.

Zainuddin said on Tuesday the three journalists were
prohibited from entering the Attorney General's Office as they
acted rudely when questioning Ghalib in a press conference after
the installment on May 26 of Ramelan as the new deputy attorney
general for special crimes.

The three journalists were scheduled to visit the police
headquarters to submit evidence, including audio-visual
recordings of the press conference, to police on Friday.

Before the journalists filed the complaint, dozens of their
colleagues staged a protest at the Attorney General's Office,
demanding the attorney general give a reasonable explanation of
the decision to ban the three.

In the protest, which took place from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.,
the journalists sang several modified songs and unfurled banners
criticizing the decision.

One of the banners read: "Don't insult journalists with your
offer of ties and shoes."

After waiting for two hours, however, the three journalists
failed to meet Ghalib.

Meanwhile, Deputy Attorney General for Intelligence Affairs
Yusuf Kartanegara apologized to the three banned journalists on
Thursday, but said there was never in fact a ban.

"The office never prevents journalists from covering events
here. We only make an attempt to urge reckless journalists to
dress well and to ask questions in a proper manner," he said

However, the three journalists turned down the office's
apology, and insisted that the attorney general apologize to them
himself.

Meanwhile, dozens of journalists in the Forum for Bandung
Journalists' Discussion blasted the attorney general's ban as
"arrogant" and "immoral".

"Precisely in the reform era, the attorney general has closed
down the people's access to information," the group said in a
statement. (emf/asa/43)