Reports on anti-drug raids win support

Reports on anti-drug raids win support

JAKARTA (JP): Despite complaints from concerned officials, Minister of Information Harmoko strongly supports recent media reports on drug syndicates and raids against suspected traffickers in the city.

"In my opinion, the articles have given valuable information (to the government) because each of them have provided color and views from different angles," the minister told reporters shortly after officially opening a week-long seminar on drug prevention for Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) media personnel here yesterday.

Earlier, a number of officials, many from police offices, claimed that the massive media coverage on drugs and the in- depth, transparent news on their sales at several night clubs in the capital hampered their well-planned operations.

"We also need media coverage but not on drug raids because such operations are categorized as top-secret," a senior police officer told The Jakarta Post here recently.

He said that unfortunately the in-depth reports about drug abuse in many media over the past few weeks have led to "the disappearance" of many consumers and traffickers at several places already listed by police as sites where transactions of various banned drugs often take place.

However, Minister Harmoko said he believes that the media reports have helped to give clear information to the public on the danger of banned drugs to the younger generation, as well as on the working patterns of the syndicates and drug trafficking sites.

"So, lots of people now know the bad impact of the drugs on people, particularly on youths," he said.

The seminar which started yesterday was attended by 50 journalists, including those from other ASEAN countries, such as the Philippines, Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

The seminar at the BKKBN auditorium in East Jakarta will last until Saturday. (bsr)