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.