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