On press freedom

On press freedom

I lived and worked in Indonesia between 1990 and 1995. I was
an avid reader of The Jakarta Post and even wrote several
feature articles that were published in your newspaper. I always
thought the Post strived to be fair and objective; two hallmarks
of fine journalism. Now I am back in the USA and I read the Post
via the Internet. I am disappointed that you, like many other
Indonesian publications, have become less fair as you gained more
freedom to write.

I refer specifically to the article on your former president's
health that appeared in the July 21 edition. The article
continually quoted "sources" close to the hospital, the president
and others. That may be allowed on rare occasions but when it
happens often it appears to be an abuse of the privilege. In
fact, it opens up the possibility that the writer may have
concocted these sources to support a personal opinion. Why also
the need to refer to a grandson's auto by brand name? ... "as he
hurried to his brown Audi"... Is that really important to the
main issue (the president's health) or just a way of fanning the
flame of accusations of wealth? Why the biased quote from the man
in the hospital: "Why such tight security for a former
president?" Richard Nixon was an American president who left
office in disgrace. Yet we Americans still accorded him a certain
amount of respect and realized that a former president carries a
lot of sensitive information with him forever. Without security,
Soeharto would be vulnerable to those who would like to know
Indonesia's military information? How stupid can that man in the
hospital be?

Regardless of your feelings toward the former president, he is
a former president and for the sake of Indonesia there should be
tight security around him. The end of the article disappointed me
the most. It mentioned that in the past, news of Soeharto's
health had caused the rupiah to fluctuate but that now "it barely
made a dent". The writer seemed to take actual glee in this.

When Richard Nixon died, no one, not even his political
opponents, cheered. I feel that if Soeharto were to pass away
there are those who work for the media in Indonesia, including
those at the Post, who would see that as a time to celebrate.
Shame on you. You think freedom of the press means freedom to
call an opinion a fact. If this is how you handle your new
freedom of the press, then you are still immature and not ready
for the responsibility that accompanies such freedom.

MICHAEL LAWSON

Associate Editor

CAM Magazine

Detroit, Michigan USA