NGOs protest arrests, demand freedom of press
NGOs protest arrests, demand freedom of press
JAKARTA (JP): About 50 activists from 23 non-governmental organizations marched to the House of Representatives yesterday to protest the arrest of journalists and to demand greater freedom of the press.
Waving banners and shouting slogans, the demonstrators demanded the release of two Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) reporters and an office assistant of the organization.
The three were arrested last week for publishing an underground newsletter, Independen, which is critical of the government.
Under Indonesian law, all publications need official permits.
The demonstrators also protested the recent raid on the office of Pijar Foundation and the ban of its newsletter Kabar dari Pijar. They also condemned the banning of Suara Mitra periodical published by the Kalyanamitra Foundation.
They said the police are still detaining two Pijar activists on charges of sowing hatred of the government.
They were met by legislators from the Indonesian Democratic Party, Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno, Sabam Sirait and Royani Haminullah.
"We protest the banning of Kabar Dari Pijar and Suara Mitra and the detention of journalists and activists," said Agustiana, one of the protesters calling themselves Indonesian Solidarity for Press Liberation.
Activist Munif Laredo argued that the newsletters supplement mainstream licensed media and are needed by the public to express their opinions.
"The government cannot just turn a deaf ear to what people say by closing the newsletters down," he said.
The legislators reiterated that the minority party supports freedom of the press and loathes the closure of media, like the government's closure of Tempo, Editor and DeTIK last year.
Protests against the detention of journalists and activists as well as raids on NGO headquarters have also come from foreign non-governmental organizations.
Thirteen Asian women activists from different organizations have lodged protest to the Indonesian government on the various incidents.
Urged
They urged the government of Indonesia to respect and recognize the rights of citizens to the freedom of expression and freedom to organize as mandated in the Indonesian Constitution.
Chairman of the Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy, Abdul Hakim Garuda Nusantara, yesterday lodged a protest with the Police Chief against what he called "illegal arrests."
On Monday, spokesman for the Armed Forces defended the police's action against AJI activists, saying that the arrest was legal.
"If the police find the activists had done something in violation of the law, they will be `processed'", he said.
Meanwhile, Indonesian Journalists' Association (PWI), the only journalist organization sanctioned by the government, said that it has withdrawn its recommendation for Goenawan Mohamad to become chief editor of the Swa Sembada economic magazine.
Secretary of the Jakarta chapter of PWI Marah Sakti Siregar said that the withdrawal of the recommendation was "only the logical consequence" of its firing Goenawan, a former Tempo chief editor, from its membership last week.
Siregar also said that Fikri Jufri, a former senior editor of Tempo whose PWI membership has also been withdrawn, will lose his job as the chief editor of Matra trend magazine in near future. Fikri will be replaced by N. Riantiarno. (29)