'Tempo' verdict

'Tempo' verdict

The Central Jakarta District Court handed down on Thursday two
historic verdicts in the same case. It sentenced Tempo magazine
chief editor Bambang Harymurti to one year in prison, but
acquitted Tempo reporters Akhmad Taufik and Teuku Iskandar Ali in
the same defamation case filed by businessman Tomy Winata.

The decision to jail a journalist is the first of its kind in
this era of reform, where intimidation and other crimes against
the press have continued to occur.

Journalism is not above the law. A journalist is not a saint.
We see stories that do not meet the principles of journalism.

However, Indonesia's mainstream press has more positive
attributes than negative.

It is disappointing to see crimes against the press continue
to occur at a time when Indonesia's socio-political and economic
life is dominated by ill practices.

Members of the press are ready to face the consequences if
found guilty by the courts, but the courts should make use of the
press law and not the Criminal Code.

In journalism, the search for truth is a process. There is
room for debate and discussion. We fear the press will be
discouraged from searching for the truth, considering that we are
not yet ready to adopt transparency in this era of reform.

-- Republika, Jakarta