Journalists warned over 'Tempo' dummy
Journalists warned over 'Tempo' dummy
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Information Harmoko has warned
former journalists of the banned Tempo newsweekly that he will
take action if they go ahead with their plan to launch an
"introductory" new edition of the magazine for limited readership
today.
"They can't do this. We'll take action," Harmoko told the
Antara news yesterday agency when asked to comment on a report
that journalists were planning to issue the "dummy" edition, as
an introductory copy is usually known in magazine industry
circles.
The edition is intended to be issued today, coinciding with
the first anniversary of the revocation of the magazine's
publishing license by Harmoko. The cover story of the 78-page
edition, which will carry some advertisements, deals with the
newsprint crisis.
The minister said any publication required official
permission, be it in the form of a press publishing permit
(SIUPP) or a publishing permit for limited circulation (STT).
The minister declined to say what measures he had in store for
the former Tempo journalists. "When it (the magazine) is
published, then we'll take action," he said.
He described the plan to issue the dummy edition as
"unethical", given that the litigation initiated against him by
the journalists had not yet been resolved in the Jakarta State
Administrative Court.
In a surprise move last month, the court ruled in favor of the
Tempo journalists and declared the minister's decision to revoke
the magazine's publishing license as unlawful. Moreover, the
court ordered the government to restore Tempo's license.
Harmoko stressed yesterday that the court's decision was not
final, since the government had filed an appeal in the High State
Administrative Court.
"The ministry of information has already filed the appeal
through the attorney general. I think it would be more ethical if
we all waited until there's legal certainty," he said. "You
cannot publish anything until there's legal certainty."
Responding to Harmoko's remarks, Bambang Harimurty, the head
of the group of Tempo journalists who put together the dummy,
said that as far as he was concerned, the edition was legal.
"We have checked with our lawyers. I don't see any problem,"
Bambang told The Jakarta Post by phone last night.
As a one-time-only edition intended for a limited audience,
the dummy did not need any license, he said, adding that the
dummy edition was being run "to test our production system."
Bambang, who was Tempo's correspondent in Washington at the
time of the ban, paid a visit to the House of Representatives on
Monday and met with leaders of the Armed Forces faction to
discuss his efforts to revive the magazine. Tempo's former chief
editor Goenawan Mohamad also took part in the meeting.
Bambang said he had sought the faction's help, asking that it
raise the issue with Harmoko when the minister holds a hearing
with Commission I of the House next month.
Meanwhile, Tempo's former employees and their supporters are
busy this week marking the passing of one year since the magazine
was banned.
A three-day exhibition of some of Tempo's graphic
illustrations opened on Monday night at the Taman Ismail Marzuki
arts center in on Jl. Cikini Raya, Central Jakarta. Other
activities include poetry readings, the presentation of awards to
people who have fought for press freedom, and the launching of a
book about Tempo's court battle. (emb/23)