PT Freeport Indonesia paid a total of US$5.6 million in

PT Freeport Indonesia paid a total of US$5.6 million in security fees last year to the Indonesian Military (TNI) in Papua. It was apparently legal. There was no extortion. As a public company Freeport is only responsible for its expenditures on its annual report to share holders. Legally there is nothing wrong with that.

The problem is that the company paid a state institution, which should have its own budget from the state.

As an official institution, TNI's operational funds must be derived from only one source: The state budget. The fact is that the country's financial ability is limited. But, this is not an excuse for the military or police forces to sell security. Moreover, the exact amounts of money paid and to whom were not transparently reported.

After the TNI admitted to having received the money from Freeport, the chairman of Military/Police faction at the House could trace only Rp 1 billion (approximately $100,000 a mere fraction of the total) which had been directly given to the TNI personnel based in Timika, where PT Freeport Indonesia is. Then, where has the rest of money gone?

The unclear flow of money tells us that such aid must be halted. The TNI is a state institution. It does not belong to a private company or individuals. Thus, all of TNI's activities should be controlled and transparent.

-- Koran Tempo, Jakarta

Journalists against gangsters

A very rare occasion took place at the House of Representatives building on Monday. Two "warring groups", Tempo weekly magazine and tycoon Tomy Winata met in an effort to clarify tensions among them.

Tomy has accused Tempo of libel - through its reports on the Tanah Abang fire, while Tempo vehemently opposed the violence carried out by by Tomy's men during their "visit" to the magazine's editorial office.

In short, with their own arguments, the two sides claimed to be not guilty.

Tomy denied having instructed his men to attack Tempo, and its journalists.

Judging from the violence and threats by Tomy's men, it is obvious that the problem is violence against the press. The violence will, in the end, damage the freedom of the press.

Freedom of the press, which everyone has fought for over the years, has just suffered another major setback. Worse, the intimidation was committed by hired gangsters, who should have been arrested by the police officers for their arbitrary actions.

It is not surprising that Indonesian journalists declared their commitment in a slogan "Journalists against Thuggery".

-- Republika, Jakarta