Press turn against own organization for backing bans

Press turn against own organization for backing bans

JAKARTA (JP): Reporters vented their fury over the press ban
at the Association of Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI)
for expressing its "understanding" of the government's action.

About 100 banner-waving reporters and activists marched to the
association's premises in Central Jakarta and urged Minister of
Information Harmoko to lift the ban.

While expressing its concern over the bans and the fates of
those at the weeklies who lost their jobs, PWI has said it "could
understand" the government's crackdown on the press.

The protesters said the association should tell the government
that the press ban has created public unrest rather than
strengthen national stability as was intended.

The protesters, mostly clad in black T-shirts, gathered
outside the Press Council building in Central Jakarta after being
denied entry by PWI secretary general Parni Hadi on the grounds
that the building's parking lot was too small to accommodate
them.

Dozens of anti-riot police armed with clubs and shields stayed
alert near the Press Council building, blocking the protesters'
way into the compound. No untoward incident occurred however.

The journalists were among the more than 300 from Jakarta and
other cities throughout Indonesia who signed the petition
deploring last month's bans on Tempo, DeTIK and Editor magazines.

Tempo lost its publishing license for its editorial content
while DeTIK and Editor lost theirs because their operations
violated the terms of the licenses. The government claims that
the magazines had ignored repeated warnings.

Five representatives of the journalists met with Parni Hadi,
secretary of the PWI, member of the association's honorary
council, R.H. Siregar, and coordinator of PWI's welfare section
Sondang Meliala to present their petition.

The journalists said through a statement that they deplore the
bans and are disappointed by the stance of PWI's caretakers who
had said they "understand" the bans.

"We deplore the revocation of the publishing licenses which
abuses the institution, profession and existence of journalism,
more so amid all the slogans on openness and human rights
currently heard in this country," said the statement. "The
decisions are unjust. We are concerned that the muzzling of the
three media will have a prolonged effect."

They also called for an end to the practice of allowing the
Minister and Director General for Press and Graphics to hold the
respective posts of chairman and secretary of the Press Council.

During a hearing at the House of Representatives (DPR),
Harmoko rejected calls to reverse his decision to ban the
magazines, saying that the government could issue new licenses to
them.

Harmoko said that the move was legal and consistent with the
1982 Press Law, adding that reversing the decisions would run
counter to the law.

Satrio Arismunandar, a delegation member, told his anxious
colleagues after the 90-minute meeting that PWI executives agreed
that the Press Law contains ambiguities.

"PWI promises to help the struggle for our demands," said
Satrio, a reporter of Kompas daily.

The four other delegates are Maria Hartiningsih (Kompas),
Benny Harman (Media Indonesia daily), Meirizal Zulkarnain and
Hasudungan Sirait (both are reporters of Bisnis Indonesia daily).

Hartiningsih disclosed that the meeting ended hastily with
many issues left unresolved, "The security people kept telling
PWI executives that things were getting hot outside, and that the
negotiations should end quickly."

PWI's central executive board said that it was concerned about
the employees of the banned magazines. It urged "all parties" to
help create a favorable situation so that new licenses could be
issued quickly.

Meanwhile yesterday, in an open letter addressed to President
Soeharto regarding the ban, the Bandung-based Institute for
Strategic and Islamic Studies said the revocations would only
make the journalists afraid to report the truth.

Also yesterday, the Nusantara Legal Aid Foundation protested
against the ban during a solidarity meeting for the three banned
magazines conducted by the Christian Student Movement (GMKI) in
Bandung on Monday. The fate of an activist arrested by the
authorities in the meeting was also not known, said the
foundation. (team)