PWI urges police to use its findings in murder case

SEMARANG (JP): The Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) called on police investigators Saturday to use as input findings of its investigation into the Aug. 16 death of a Yogyakarta journalist.

Association chairman Sofyan Lubis said he hoped the police would use PWI's findings to compliment their query into the mysterious murder of Fuad Muhammad Syafrudin.

Lubis said although the police's findings were fundamentally different from the association's, the suggestion was not a challenge to the authorities.

"Coming out with different opinions is something normal in a democratic country like Indonesia," Lubis said.

The association has concluded that Syafrudin, better known as Udin, was murdered because of his reporting on land disputes and mismanagement of poverty alleviation program funds in the Bantul regency, Yogyakarta.

The police have, from the outset, insisted the murder had nothing to do with the journalist's job. They have arrested a man they believe murdered the Bernas daily reporter in a jealous outrage.

Udin died after three days in intensive care at Bethesda Hospital in Yogyakarta. He failed to regain consciousness after receiving serious injuries at the hands of his attackers on July 13.

Lubis said if the police fail to solve the case, Indonesian journalists will feel insecure in doing their jobs.

In semarang to close a two-day meeting of the local chapter of the association, Lubis called on the 300 participants to strengthen solidarity among journalists.

"A strong sense of solidarity is needed whenever journalists face hardship, just like the one suffered by Fuad Muhammad Syafrudin who was beaten to death by people who have yet to be identified," Lubis said.

"But journalists ... are people of grace, who will not seek to avenge their colleague's death, but who will pray so that the perpetrators will soon be willing to surrender to the police," he said.

He said the association expected the police investigation into the killing could later be used as a means to educate people and help prevent further harassment of journalists.

Novel Ali, an expert at the Semarang-based Diponegoro University separately said that the Udin affair shows that journalism is becoming a dangerous profession in Indonesia.

"Our journalists are threatened with violence," he said.

He cited other examples, such as the attack on a number of journalists covering the July 27 riots in Jakarta. (har/imn/swe)