More condemn `Tempo' attack

More condemn `Tempo' attack

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Dozens of journalists rallied near the State Palace on Monday to
protest against the recent attack on the offices of Tempo
newsmagazine.

The protesters, representing Solidarity for Press Freedom,
condemned the attack by 200 people demanding Tempo retract an
article in its March 3 edition insinuating links between
businessman Tomy Winata's plan to renovate Tanah Abang market and
the fire that destroyed it.

The journalists called on the police to investigate the case
thoroughly.

The 1999 press law threatens those who prevent journalists
from disseminating information to the public with a maximum two-
year jail sentence or Rp 500 million fine.

Bayu Wicaksono of the Alliance of Independent Journalists
(AJI), who led the protest at the State Palace, told reporters
the attack on Tempo was an attack on press freedom.

Later in the day, the National Commission of Human Rights
(Komnas HAM) held a meeting with a number of journalists over
violence against the press.

Komnas HAM established a special team to monitor violence
cases against journalists in January. Anshari Tayib, who heads
the team, said it would do its best to help Tempo settle the case
legally.

During the meeting, Tempo senior editor Fikri Jufri said the
magazine would not bow to the mob's demands, despite the attack.

"They can destroy our assets but not our idealism. There is
only one word for such an action, 'fight!'" he said, adding that
Tempo would settle the case in court.

Separately, noted non-governmental organizations Indonesia
Corruption Watch (ICW), Transparency International (TI), TI's
Indonesian chapter and the Indonesian Transparency Society (MTI),
condemned the attack in a joint statement, saying the attack
could undermine press freedom.

"The violent protest showed clearly that the protesters were
arrogant, anarchic and ignored the supremacy of the law," said
Emmy Hafild, an executive at TI's Indonesian chapter. She
demanded the police bring the perpetrators to justice.

TI chairman Peter Eigen said the authority's failure to
address the case would deter foreign investment.

He said that if the police did not act swiftly to solve the
case, foreign investors could think that the supremacy of law was
absent in Indonesia, discouraging investors from coming here.

The Indonesia Legal Aid and Human Rights Association
criticized the police for doing nothing to prevent the incident.

"The incident occurred under their noses. They must not allow
it," it said in a statement.

A member of the House of Representatives' commission for
information affairs, Djoko Susilo, concurred and urged the
authorities to investigate the violence.

Djoko said police should act immediately without waiting for a
complaint from Tempo.

He said he would question Minister of Communications and
Information Syamsul Mu'arif in relation to the issue during its
next hearing, the schedule of which had not yet been set.

The police were present when Tomy's supporters attacked
Tempo's offices and injured a journalist. The magazine's chief
editor, Bambang Harymurti, and editor Ahmad Taufik were beaten by
several protesters as they waited for a meeting with the
protesters at Central Jakarta Police headquarters.

The police insist they will only investigate if Tempo files a
complaint.

Meanwhile, Yusuf Yazid, commenting on behalf of Tomy, defended
the mob's action, saying the incident was in response to the
article, which quoted sources regarding Tomy's Rp 53 billion
(US$5.9 million) bid to renovate the market.

He also alleged that Tempo never interviewed Tomy for the
article.

Bambang dismissed the accusations, saying its reporters
interviewed Tomy by phone.

Tempo published Tomy's interview next to the article.

Tomy said earlier that he had no idea about the attack and it
was simply the idea of his men, who were members of his Artha
Graha Group and the Indonesian Young Bulls (BMI), a youth
organization belonging to President Megawati Soekarnoputri's
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle.

However, he later said that he had attempted to stop his men
from protesting outside Tempo.

Tomy is known for his close relationship with several high-
ranking officials in the country.