News agencies called misleading

JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso accused several foreign news agencies of spreading misleading reports on the condition of Jakarta as the country's capital city.

"The foreign news agencies reported that the situation here was 'chaotic' and without any security control at all," he told members of the Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) and the Confederation of ASEAN Journalists (CAJ).

"Such reports have tarnished Jakarta's image and built a misleading perception and opinion on the city's condition," he added, but did not elaborate further.

The journalists are here to attend a four-day conference in conjunction with PWI's 54th anniversary and CAJ's 25th anniversary. In addition to journalists from ASEAN's 10 countries, there were also journalists from Australia, China, Japan and South Korea.

Sutiyoso asked the journalists to deliver the real story about the situation in Jakarta and to help dismiss misleading reports.

"I believe that once the journalists are here, they will see firsthand the real situation. And then they can make more objective reports," he told reporters.

"That's why I'm always eager to host any events in Jakarta, be it at a national, regional or international level. Not only can I show that everything's normal here, but I can also promote the local tourist sites," he added. (05)