Journalists union vows to uphold independent stance
Journalists union vows to uphold independent stance
JAKARTA (JP): The government-sanctioned Indonesian Journalists
Association (PWI) pledged yesterday to strengthen its
independence by distancing itself from the government and the
dominant political organization Golkar.
Association secretary-general Parni Hadi said the
organization, at its next congress in November, would replace
executives who also hold positions in Golkar.
"God willing, the people on the next PWI executive board will
not be executives of Golkar or any other political party," Parni
told a seminar on public pressure on the press held by the
Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI).
Parni however did not mention the names of those to be
replaced.
PWI chairman Sofyan Lubis is one of the more than 130 members
of Golkar's executive board announced by Golkar leader Akbar
Tandjung last month.
Akbar, who is also minister/state secretary, appointed Sofyan
to head Golkar's public relations and mass media department.
Sofyan is also the chief editor of the popular daily Pos Kota.
Parni, who was installed as the general manager of the
official news agency Antara by Akbar last month, admitted that a
long debate had taken place among PWI executives before
concluding that such a stance would be a top priority on the
congress' agenda.
"This is our final stance, to distance PWI from the political
parties and Golkar because we know that our greatest problem at
this time is being coopted," Parni said.
Commenting on Minister of Home Affairs Syarwan Hamid's plan to
sue several local media for their reports on his alleged
involvement in the forceful takeover of the Indonesian Democratic
Party headquarters in Central Jakarta in 1996, Parni said the
legal approach was the most appropriate.
"We (the press) shouldn't be afraid of being sued," added
Parni.
University of Indonesia sociologist Sardjono Djatiman, who was
also speaking at the seminar yesterday, shared Parni's opinion
that the debate should be settled in court.
Sardjono however warned that the court should be fair and
impartial.
AJI announced yesterday that a four-member delegation of the
International Federation of Journalists arrived here on Monday to
learn more on the state of press freedom as a result of political
changes following the resignation of veteran ruler Soeharto in
May.
Led by federation president Christopher Warren, the delegation
will meet, among others, Minister of Information Muhammad Yunus
Yosfiah, senior journalist Mochtar Lubis, former chief editor of
Tempo magazine Goenawan Mohamad and leaders of the Indonesian
Legal Aid Institute and the Indonesian Prosperous Labor Union
during their five-day visit. (byg)