Police tried in 'Tempo' case

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

After being postponed twice, the Central Jakarta District Court finally opened on Monday the hearing of a lawsuit filed by the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) against the police over the attack on the Tempo offices and its journalists.

Lawyers for the Jakarta branch of AJI, of which the attacked journalists are members, charged the police with neglecting their duty by allowing violence against the press to take place.

Grouped in the Defenders of Press Freedom Committee (KPKP), the lawyers urged the court to order the police to apologize to the public through five Jakarta-based dailies, six television networks and five radio stations.

"We (also) demand that the court order the defendants to introduce a subject on Law No. 40/1999 on the press into the curriculum of the Police Academy and the Police Staff College (PTIK)," KPKP coordinator Azas Tigor Nainggolan told the court while reading out the charges.

The defendants listed in the charges are the National Police chief, the Jakarta Police chief, the Central Jakarta police chief and the Menteng substation police chief.

They are accused of failing to provide security as stated in Law No. 2/2002 on the National Police and Law No. 9/1998 on the freedom of expression in public.

Monday's hearing had been much anticipated by journalists, as it had been postponed twice due to the absence of the defendants and their lawyers.

Presiding judge Iskandar Tjake adjourned the trial until June 25.

The case revolves around a protest by around 100 people, claiming to be supporters of businessman Tomy Winata on March 8, against an article carried by Tempo, which insinuated that Tomy would profit from the fire that razed Tanah Abang market in February.

The protest turned violent when the demonstrators insisted that the magazine's journalists reveal their sources for the article. One of Tempo's senior journalists was wounded when a wooden tissue box was hurled by a protester during the demonstration.

The violence continued even in the Central Jakarta Police office, where the protesters -- led by David Tjoe alias David A Miauw -- were further involved in a hot debate with the weekly chief editor Bambang Harymurti and journalists Ahmad Taufik and Karaniya Dharmasaputra.

The assault took place in front of police officers inside the room of the local chief of detectives.

Claiming to have a good relationship with the police, David called up the Jakarta Police chief during the protest and ask the Central Jakarta Police chief to listen to what the latter's superior had to say.

After listening on the phone, the Central Jakarta Police chief attempted to persuade Bambang to reveal the article source to David, but the chief editor refused.

David and Hidayat Lukman alias Teddy Uban are being tried in separate trials at the same court. They are charged with minor assault.

Prosecutors were scheduled to formally indict the two on Monday. However, the trial was postponed because the prosecutors failed to show up.