Military says sale of unlicensed media led to reporters' arrest

Military says sale of unlicensed media led to reporters' arrest

JAKARTA (JP): The Armed Forces (ABRI) says the arrest of three
members of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) had
nothing to do with their activities in the group.

They were arrested because they were caught selling an
unlicensed magazine, ABRI chief spokesman Maj. Gen. Syarwan Hamid
said.

Syarwan denied that the authorities are now clamping down on
Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) which was established
last year to challenge the Association of Indonesian Journalists
(PWI), as the only forum for the profession.

"Although constitutionally the existence of AJI is out of
line, the authorities, in dealing with (the journalists), should
make maximum efforts to guide them," Syarwan was quoted by the
Kompas daily as saying yesterday.

"The potential of these young journalists should be cared
for," he said, calling on all parties to hold open dialogs in
order to get clearer views of the issue at stake.

Two members of AJI and another activist -- Ahmad Taufik, Eko
Maryadi and Danang -- are currently being questioned by the
police for their involvement in the publication of an underground
magazine, Independen, which is highly critical of the government.

The magazine is published by AJI. Its publication was in
defiance of the government's regulation requiring that all
publications destined for the general public to carry a permit
from the Ministry of Information.

Police said the three were seen selling copies of the magazine
during a post-Idul Fitri gathering organized by AJI at a Jakarta
hotel.

PWI early this month sacked 13 members who were closely
associated with AJI.

Meanwhile, the United States Embassy yesterday expressed its
concern at the recent development regarding the Indonesian press.

The embassy is "aware of actions taken recently in Indonesia
against AJI and against journalists not associated with the PWI",
according to the statement signed by press attache Pamela Smith.

Washington "finds these developments troubling; requiring
journalists to belong to one particular association is
inconsistent with the principle of press freedom".

"The U.S. hopes that the detained journalists will be released
quickly and the other recent actions taken will be reversed, so
that Indonesia may benefit from the free circulation of
information and ideas."

Meanwhile, some 50 students and youths staged a noisy
demonstration in front of the office of the National Commission
on Human Rights yesterday denouncing the arrests of the
journalists.

"We are against banning. Free our friends," shouted the
youths, calling themselves members of the Solidaritas Indonesia
Untuk Pembebasan Pers (SIUPP) or the Indonesian Solidarity for
the Freedom of the Press.

SIUPP is also the acronym for Surat Ijin Usaha Penerbitan
Pers, the publishing licenses issued by the Ministry of
Information. (swe/29)