Police blasted for failing to uphold press freedom

Muhammad Nafik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Frequent cases of violence and intimidation against journalists by police personnel across the country reflects their serious lack of understanding of the freedom of the press, an activist says.

"Recent abuses against journalists by police show that they refuse to support press freedom amid the reform era," Adnan Pandupradja, who chairs Police Watch, a non-governmental organization, told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

He also criticized the police for failing to control their members who often used violence to deal with journalists covering sensitive events.

The number of reporters who have become easy targets of attacks by security forces has increased steadily since President Megawati Soekarnoputri ascended to the presidency in July 2001.

According to the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), at least 58 cases of physical assaults on reporters were recorded from May 3, 2001 to May 3 this year.

The victim of the latest attack, Wisnu Dewabrata of the leading Kompas daily was beaten by police officers while covering a labor strike at PT Maspion based in Sidoarjo, East Java on Wednesday.

The officers, who chased striking workers that clashed with them, also seized Wisnu's identity card and camera.

Earlier last month, an SCTV reporter suffered a similar assault from police personnel in the troubled province of Maluku.

Socio-political observer Fachry Ali concurred, saying the police were sill reluctant to support press freedom in the post- Soeharto regime.

The police still feel they are soldiers, not public security personnel who must protect members of the society, including journalists, Fachry said.

He told the police to consider the media a partner instead of an enemy in carrying out their duty of enforcing the law.

He and Adnan urged National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar to take a stern action against his members who assault and intimidate members of the press.

"If Gen. Da'i is serious in upholding press freedom, he should issue a firm instruction to all his personnel to stop violence against journalists," Adnan said.

A similar view was expressed by retired police general Awaluddin Djamin, who said Da'i should seriously look into attacks on reporters.

He said the police must take firm legal action against their officers involved in attacks on members of the press because it was one of the "sensitive" national issues.

"This could boost the police's credibility," he added.

Awaluddin also backed moves by publishing companies to prosecute police members accused of beating or intimidating their reporters.

Yet, he denied claims that assaults on journalists meant that the police were campaigning against the media so as to be able to reestablish repressive security measures against troublemakers as was practiced under Soeharto's 32-year authoritarian rule.