'Swasembada' swamped with complaints of lost copies
<p>'Swasembada' swamped with complaints of lost copies</p><p> JAKARTA (JP): Swasembada magazine, whose last edition was sold
out shortly after being printed, has been inundated by calls from
subscribers and distributors.</p><p>The latest edition, no. 8, whose cover story was about
troubled Bank Pacific, could not be found on newsstands since
being published Friday.</p><p>The cover story of the magazine, popularly known as Swa, was
titled "Utari's Uncurbed Scandal and Ambition -- The Tale of Bank
Pacific's Fall," referring to former director Endang Utari
Mokodompit.</p><p>Swa circulation staff repeatedly apologized to callers, saying
they did not have any copies left.</p><p>Distributors said Bank Pacific bought all 40,000 copies
reserved for them, but both Swasembada and Bank Pacific could not
confirm. Most of the remaining 5,000 copies go to subscribers who
do not deal with distributors.</p><p>A distributor said as of late yesterday that he had not been
able to find a single copy.</p><p>Deputy to chief editor Kemal Effendi Gani would only say,
"We're all disappointed. We cannot fulfill our mission to inform
readers, to tell a story from which we might draw lessons."</p><p>A Swa executive said although the magazine had a website
(http://www.swa.co.id), only few readers have access to the
Internet.</p><p>Swa reporters demanded the edition be reprinted.</p><p>A "statement of concern" signed by 21 staffers, including
executive editor Baso Amir, said, "To us, letting this buy up
happen is far worse and saddening than a press ban."</p><p>The statement said sources who bought the magazine claimed be
from the intelligence body, Bakin.</p><p>The magazine's management said they had yet to decide whether
they would reprint the last edition, saying they were being
cautious.</p><p>"Things are becoming sensitive...it is not merely business
considerations which we take into account," an executive
requesting anonymity said.</p><p>Sources said two people, who would not say who they
represented, came to the office Thursday insisting on buying
every copy. The management had told them to deal with
distributors, saying they had commitments to their subscribers.</p><p>Distributors said people claiming to be from Bank Pacific had
blocked PT Temprint printing house with their vehicles in West
Jakarta.</p><p>"They (the people claiming to be from Bank Pacific) said we
should sell all the copies to them," a distributor said. The
people loaded the magazines onto a truck, she said. She added
that the people did not make any threats, but employees could not
refuse.</p><p>A source from Bank Pacific, who requested anonymity, said she
had no idea who was posing as the bank's representatives or
whether the bank had decided to buy up all the copies.</p><p>"Several of us subscribe to Swa and we're also looking for
copies," she said.</p><p>"Swa should print more copies...or eventually its image will
be tarnished," a distributor said. "Many distributors have
protested." He said rumors among distributors were that one
distributing agency had monopolized all copies and sold them to
Bank Pacific. (anr/icn)</p>
out shortly after being printed, has been inundated by calls from
subscribers and distributors.</p><p>The latest edition, no. 8, whose cover story was about
troubled Bank Pacific, could not be found on newsstands since
being published Friday.</p><p>The cover story of the magazine, popularly known as Swa, was
titled "Utari's Uncurbed Scandal and Ambition -- The Tale of Bank
Pacific's Fall," referring to former director Endang Utari
Mokodompit.</p><p>Swa circulation staff repeatedly apologized to callers, saying
they did not have any copies left.</p><p>Distributors said Bank Pacific bought all 40,000 copies
reserved for them, but both Swasembada and Bank Pacific could not
confirm. Most of the remaining 5,000 copies go to subscribers who
do not deal with distributors.</p><p>A distributor said as of late yesterday that he had not been
able to find a single copy.</p><p>Deputy to chief editor Kemal Effendi Gani would only say,
"We're all disappointed. We cannot fulfill our mission to inform
readers, to tell a story from which we might draw lessons."</p><p>A Swa executive said although the magazine had a website
(http://www.swa.co.id), only few readers have access to the
Internet.</p><p>Swa reporters demanded the edition be reprinted.</p><p>A "statement of concern" signed by 21 staffers, including
executive editor Baso Amir, said, "To us, letting this buy up
happen is far worse and saddening than a press ban."</p><p>The statement said sources who bought the magazine claimed be
from the intelligence body, Bakin.</p><p>The magazine's management said they had yet to decide whether
they would reprint the last edition, saying they were being
cautious.</p><p>"Things are becoming sensitive...it is not merely business
considerations which we take into account," an executive
requesting anonymity said.</p><p>Sources said two people, who would not say who they
represented, came to the office Thursday insisting on buying
every copy. The management had told them to deal with
distributors, saying they had commitments to their subscribers.</p><p>Distributors said people claiming to be from Bank Pacific had
blocked PT Temprint printing house with their vehicles in West
Jakarta.</p><p>"They (the people claiming to be from Bank Pacific) said we
should sell all the copies to them," a distributor said. The
people loaded the magazines onto a truck, she said. She added
that the people did not make any threats, but employees could not
refuse.</p><p>A source from Bank Pacific, who requested anonymity, said she
had no idea who was posing as the bank's representatives or
whether the bank had decided to buy up all the copies.</p><p>"Several of us subscribe to Swa and we're also looking for
copies," she said.</p><p>"Swa should print more copies...or eventually its image will
be tarnished," a distributor said. "Many distributors have
protested." He said rumors among distributors were that one
distributing agency had monopolized all copies and sold them to
Bank Pacific. (anr/icn)</p>