Journalists plan to sue over beating

Journalists plan to sue over beating

YOGYAKARTA (JP): The local chapter of the Association of
Indonesian Journalists is threatening to sue a police officer who
punched a female reporter here Wednesday.

"We are working on taking legal action. We really want to take
the case to court," Masduki Attamimi of the association said
yesterday.

The incident happened when the police officer, Kandyawan,
struck Idayani of Detektif & Romantika on the neck.

Idayani and dozens of other reporters were trying to interview
regent Sri Roso Sudarmo about his bid to continue a US$43-million
Parangtritis Beach resort project which had been shelved by the
provincial government when the incident occurred.

When Sri Roso, who is implicated in last year's murder of a
Bernas journalist, came out of a post-Idul Fitri gathering with
Governor Sri Paku Alam VIII the scrum of journalists approached
him for comments.

About a dozen of the regent's guards forcibly warded off the
journalists and hurled abuse at them. They accused the reporters
of staging an anti-Sri Roso demonstration.

"I know you are trying to demonstrate," Kandyawan, who headed
the regent's police squad, angrily shouted at the journalists.

"Who is going to stage a demonstration?" retorted an irritated
reporter. "We are here on duty, not to demonstrate"

"You are all disturbing order. I am not afraid of being
televised on TV" Kandyawan said when a Televisi Pendidikan
Indonesia cameraman recorded the incident.

The Parangtritis megaproject was canceled after Sultan
Hemengku Buwono X of Yogyakarta joined the public chorus of
objections based on environmental and cultural considerations.
(23/aan)