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)