PWI, SPS hail government's press gesture

PWI, SPS hail government's press gesture

JAKARTA (JP): The associations of journalists and publishers,
PWI and SPS respectively, yesterday hailed the government's offer
to issue new publishing licenses to journalists and employees of
three magazines that were closed down last week.

"The offer is in accordance with our request and our
expectations," PWI Secretary General Parni Hadi said.

"It is a proof that the government has listened to our request
that they allow the three magazines to resume publication," SPS's
secretary general Bagjo Purwantho was quoted as saying by Antara.

However, issuing new publishing licenses is, by no means, the
same as reversing the decision to ban the three, Bagjo said.

"A new publishing license is like a new house. As a
consequence, its household, its name and its perspective must, of
course, be new," Bagjo said.

Minister of Information Harmoko on Wednesday night rejected
demands for him to reverse his decision to revoke the publishing
licenses for Tempo, DeTIK and Editor news magazines, but
suggested that they apply for new permits.

By regulation, once a publishing permit is revoked, it cannot
be revived.

Meanwhile, a limited cabinet meeting led by Coordinating
Minister of Political Affairs and Security Soesilo Soedarman
yesterday discussed the banning of the three magazines.

The meeting, which was also attended by Harmoko, agreed that
the government had followed all procedures before deciding to
revoke the publishing permits of the three magazines, Soesilo
told reporters afterwards.

The ministers also agreed that something must be done to
assist the magazines' 800 journalists and employees who have been
displaced by the bans and that the best solution is to issue them
new licenses, Soesilo said.

He added however that the journalists and employees of the
magazines must decide how soon they want to apply for the new
licenses and whether or not they can meet the terms stipulated
with the issuance of the permits.

The meeting yesterday also agreed that journalists -- the
editors in particular -- have a responsibility to ensure national
discipline, including in writing and presenting their news,
Soesilo said.

They must avoid interpretations which could damage
stability and break up national unity. "Please write with
wisdom," he said.

The minister denied that Tempo lost its license because of the
way it reported the controversy over the government's plan to
procure 39 warships from Germany.

Harmoko, during a hearing with the Commission I of the House
of Representatives on Wednesday evening, listed a number of
articles in Tempo that he said had offended many people, but the
report on the German ships was not one of them.

He cited one article entitled If you want to be admired, be a
thief, which prompted the Sasak tribe in the Lombok island to
protest because if offended their traditions.

Another article entitled It's better to become a monkey than
to eat pork offended Moslems, he added.

Government officials said Tempo had been warned on no less
than 33 occasions since 1982, and this was one reason why it lost
its license last week.

The U.S. State Department, Tuesday, in its second comment on
the press bans, expressed their concern about the government's
clampdown on demonstrations against the ban saying "We . . .
regret the use of force against a peaceful demonstration on June
27."

The statement, read by Ken Bailes, spokesman for U.S. South
Asian Pacific Affairs, said, "We hope that the ban on three
publications will be lifted at an early date and that security
forces will exercise greater restraint and avoid excessive use of
force in confronting future demonstrations." (arf)