PPM files new suit against 'Tempo'

PPM files new suit against 'Tempo'

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Pemuda Panca Marga (PPM) youth organization has filed a new civil
lawsuit against Tempo magazine, accusing the weekly of committing
a felonious act in its coverage of the group.

The lawsuit was registered on Monday at the Central Jakarta
District Court by PPM chairman Yoga Santosa and secretary general
HM Agoest Zakaria. In the suit, the group is demanding Rp 10.5
billion (US$1.15 million) in compensation from Tempo chief editor
Bambang Harymurti, journalist Ahmad Taufik and publisher PT Tempo
Inti Media Tbk, according to Article 1365 of the Civil Code.

The article stipulates punitive damages for a felonious act.

PPM had previously filed a similar lawsuit at the court last
December, accusing the weekly of publishing a libelous statement
in its June 2, 2003, article titled Terror on Kontras.

In the article, Tempo said that PPM members, who attacked the
office of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of
Violence (Kontras) on May 27, 2003, were "of a baser dignity",
and described them elsewhere as a "gang" and "children of former
soldiers".

PPM had demanded the weekly to pay Rp 250 billion in damages
and run a public apology in national media for three consecutive
days. The group had also asked the court to revoke Tempo's
publication license for at least two years.

However, PPM lost the suit when the court said in its verdict
that the allegations were vague and obscure.

Presiding judge Mulyani ruled that the charges were
unacceptable as the plaintiff had charged the defendants using
both Articles 1365 and 1372 of the Civil Code, when the articles
are for different matters. Article 1372 stipulates punitive
damages for slanderous act.