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