Rights body criticizes journalists' association

JAKARTA (JP): The National Commission on Human Rights said yesterday the Indonesian Journalists' Association (PWI) had violated human rights by withdrawing its approval of D&R magazine's editor, thus threatening the publication with closure.

Commission member Albert Hasibuan told members of the unrecognized Independent Journalists Alliance (AJI) at the commission's office yesterday that the journalists' association had been reckless.

The association revoked its approval of D&R editor Goesti Emran on Tuesday. Under Indonesian media law, newspapers and magazines cannot be printed unless their editors are approved by the association.

Tarman Azzam, head of the association's Jakarta branch, said the association no longer approved of Goesti Emran because he had employed members of the journalists alliance: "... an act which clearly violates regulations, organizational rules and the PWI journalistic code of ethics."

The five alliance members were all former employees of Tempo magazine, a prestigious weekly which was banned by the government in 1994.

Azzam said the association had given several verbal warnings and two strong written warnings to Emran, who had failed to heed them.

Azzam is also editor of the afternoon daily Harian Terbit of the Pos Kota newspaper group, owned by Minister of Information Harmoko, who is responsible for approving publishing licenses.

"The revocation is deplorable because the dispute could have been discussed. Besides, AJI has never been outlawed, it is just unrecognized," Albert said.

"The act violated the law and human rights," Albert charged.

Albert accused the association of reacting unprofessionally when Tarman Azzam said that alliance members should not be allowed to work in the editorial department of any publication.

Goesti said earlier yesterday that the alliance members employed by D&R were posted in the magazine's research and documentation department.

Zulkifli Lubis was also at yesterday's meeting. He is the director of PT Analisa Kita, which publishes the magazine.

Zulkifli said he was optimistic the magazine would continue.

"It's the Ministry of Information that will have to make the final decision whether or not we can continue to exist," he said.

Zulkifli believed that D&R had not violated any publication rules.

"We have maintained our publication's mission, which is to inform the public about law and its enforcement," Zulkifli said.

The association has given D&R three months to replace its chief editor.

According to Goesti, two names have been proposed as replacement editors: Putu Setia and Yusril Djalinus, senior journalists who once worked for Tempo.

Several journalists at the meeting said they doubted the publication would survive.

Until the Ministry of Information notifies D&R, Goesti said, it will continue to publish.

There has been speculation that the association withdrew its approval because D&R published several hard-hitting political stories and interviews in its ten issues. It began publishing three months ago.

The commission, represented by Albert and Soegiri, promised it would try to serve as a bridge between the journalists alliance and the journalist's association. The commission's secretary- general Baharuddin Lopa once tried to bring the bodies together, but failed when the association refused the meeting.

The journalists alliance was established in 1994 after Tempo was banned. (14)