Rights body criticizes journalists' association

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)