Journalists' presence questioned

JAKARTA (JP): Two members of the East Timor legislative assembly and an information official said yesterday the presence of foreign journalists in the territory is disturbing the peace.

Gabriel da Costa, chairman of the local chapter of the Indonesian Democratic Party, accused the foreign journalists of "colluding" with clandestine groups to stir up trouble in East Timor.

The deputy speaker of the East Timor assembly, Maria LVC Quintao, said their presence had disrupted harmony and induced discord.

"The foreign journalists did not come here to see the progress that East Timor has made compared to the Portuguese colonial era. They came here to make trouble," she said.

Sudarmadi, chief of the East Timor Information Office, joined the criticism of the activities of the foreign journalists visiting East Timor.

"Their activities run counter to the permission granted by the government, which is to observe the development now in progress and not to disturb the peace," Sudarmadi was quoted as saying by the Antara news agency.

He said the presence of foreign journalists in Dili encouraged those who oppose East Timor's integration with Indonesia to disturb the peace.

Dili was rocked last week by three days of ethnic violence, which was widely covered by foreign journalists. On Friday, a group of anti-integration activists staged an anti-government demonstration near the Roman Catholic cathedral.

Gabriel said these events could not be separated from the activities of foreign journalists.

"Their presence here (in Dili) appeared to have been well coordinated and they colluded with the clandestine group so that they could cover the various activities," he said

He cited the protest at the cathedral and at the state-run University of East Timor last week as the results of that collusion.

He said some foreign journalists appeared to have handed over a banner for the protesters to unfurl for the benefit of a TV cameraman.

"Their action is adding to the suffering of the East Timor people who have not yet fully recovered from the adversity of the long years of Portuguese colonization."

Maria LVC Quintao urged the government to take stern measures against journalists who abused their stays in East Timor.

Sudarmadi said his office has already filed a report with the Ministry of Information in Jakarta about the activities of foreign journalists. The report lists the ways some of them have broken the rules of the game laid down by the government before they were allowed into the region. (emb)