Raiding bookstores

Raiding bookstores

Your editorial of May 5, 2001, A new witch-hunt?, relates to
the threat by the Islam Youth Movement (GPI), a member of the so-
called "Anti-Communist Alliance", to raid bookstores in Jakarta
which don't cleanse their shelves of "communist" books. (Some of
Gramedia's staff apparently think this includes the books of
Pramoedya Ananta Toer). One wonders whether even one of the GPI
members can explain what a "communist" book is?

The Jakarta Post's proposed remedy is not to forestall such
threatened action, but rather for the Indonesian government to
ban "certain material from being published and circulated". I
wonder whether you give the same advice to the Indonesian
journalists who are attacked for their writings, i.e., that the
government should determine whether their publications are
legitimate?

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights makes no distinction
between "legal", "illegal", "communist" or "leftist" writings,
nor between writings which are published in newspapers or
published in books: "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion
and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions
without interference and to seek, receive and impart information
and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers (Article
19)".

As a responsible newspaper, I hope that, in the future, you
will be the first to uphold the right to freedom of expression of
all of your brethren. If today you ask the government to
determine what may be expressed in books, do not be surprised if
that government bans you tomorrow.

WILL JOURDIN

Visiting Professor of Law

Udayana University

Denpasar, Bali