Medan has new AJI branch

Medan has new AJI branch

MEDAN, North Sumatra (JP): Local journalists established a
branch of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) here
yesterday.

M. Syamin Pardede from Kompas daily and Achmady from Adil
tabloid were elected as the organization's chairman and secretary
respectively.

The newly formed branch would have seven divisions which
include human resources development, sports, arts and culture.

AJI was established by young journalists discontented with the
ineffective way in which the Indonesian Journalists Association
(PWI) responded to the government closure of three weeklies --
Tempo, Editor and DeTik -- in 1994.

During the administration of former president Soeharto, AJI
was an unsanctioned organization and its members often
encountered obstacles in their work as a result. (21)