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)