Journalists, NGOs demand action against councillor

Oyos Saroso HN The Jakarta Post Bandarlampung

Around 150 journalists and activists from various non- governmental organizations here rallied on Monday to demand that the Lampung Provincial Legislative Council take action against a councillor for his alleged thuggish behavior.

The protesters also urged the legislature as an institution to apologize for the bad behavior of the councillor, Fauzi Makki, and set up a disciplinary committee to quiz him over a series of offenses he has allegedly committed.

The rally coordinator, Iswadi Pratama, said the protesters had lost their patience after Fauzi insulted the journalistic profession during a hearing between councillors and provincial administration officials in charge of budget affairs last Wednesday.

"His offensive remarks in an official forum show that he wants to curtail the freedom of the press. That's why not only Fauzi but also the legislative council has to apologize," Iswadi told a group of councillors who received the protesters.

Fauzi, who has been dismissed by the Crescent and Star Party but keeps his legislative seat as an independent, openly insulted journalists during the hearing. His remarks followed press coverage of the councillors' demands for additional facilities, including houses and cars, to be paid for by the provincial administration out of a supplementary budget.

A journalist from the Lampung Post daily, Yunita Savitri, claimed that Fauzi tried to physically chase her after the hearing. Fauzi also reportedly sent thugs to intimidate Center for Strategy and Policy Studies activists, whose director was one of the sources quoted in the daily's report, which appeared in its May 28 edition.

Lampung's chapter of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) has recorded four examples of abusive behavior by Fauzi against journalists, including his threat to kill a Trans Sumatra daily reporter.

Midway through the meeting with the journalists, Fauzi appeared and openly apologized for his insulting remarks. But the Lampung Post's chief editor Bambang Eka Wijaya said the case had not ended with Fauzi's apology. He said he had filed a libel suit against the councillor.

During the meeting, AJI chairman Ridwan Saifuddin called for a boycott of the council if it continued to protect members who violated the law.