PWI Jaya's team to defend 'Tajuk'

PWI Jaya's team to defend 'Tajuk'

JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta chapter of the government-backed
Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI Jaya) has set up a team
of legal advisors to defend the Tajuk fortnightly should the
Jakarta Military Command file a lawsuit against the magazine.

The move could be dubbed as an extraordinary maneuver, as the
association had for many years been lacking in a show of support
of the media, particularly when the latter was dealing with the
authorities.

PWI Jaya's deputy chairman, Ilham Bintang, said on Friday that
the defense team, made up mostly of journalists and members of
the association, was set up also at the request of Tajuk's chief
editor, Mohammad Cholid.

Ilham said team members, headed by Bachtiar Sitanggang, are
Omar Samsoeri (Kompas), Wina Armada (Forum), Bob Silitonga
(Berita Yudha) and Timbo Siahaan (Jayakarta).

However, Ilham did not elaborate on whether the team would
fully act as lawyers for Tajuk but, he said, PWI Jaya still
welcomed any lawyer from legal organizations to join in.

Three days earlier, the city military command publicly
announced that it would sue the magazine over its Sept. 3 report
alleging complicity of the command and its former chief Maj. Gen.
Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin in the mid-May riot.

Besides claiming a criminal law violation, the command is also
seeking damages of about Rp 600 billion from the magazine for
defamation.

PWI Jaya chairman Tarman Azzam said his organization
appreciated the decision taken by the city military commander
Maj. Gen. Djadja Suparman to apply such a legal procedure.

"But we'd like to suggest that the Jakarta Military Command
use procedural means in stages before bringing this matter to the
court.

"For example, the command could first ask for its right to
clarify the report," he said in a statement on Friday.

The magazine's reports included allegations of an involvement
of then Jakarta Military commander Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin
and his men in the mid-May riots and the recent abduction of
several activists. (ivy)