Youth group protests 'D&R' editorial on Sofjan Wanandi
Youth group protests 'D&R' editorial on Sofjan Wanandi
JAKARTA (JP): About 40 youths demonstrated outside the
headquarters of D&R magazine yesterday, protesting its latest
editorial which suggests they were sent by the military to stage
recent demonstrations against businessman Sofjan Wanandi.
The youths called the article in D&R's current issue
slanderous and demanded a public apology from the weekly founded
in 1968 and known for its independent, critical and hard-hitting
articles.
"D&R has slandered us. It doesn't have any evidence to prove
its claim," the youths, calling themselves the Greater Jakarta
Islamic Youth Front, said in a statement.
They arrived carrying banners condemning the magazine. One
read: D&R Antek Penghianat Bangsa (D&R Tool of the Nation's
Traitors).
They set fire to copies of the magazine, which carried a
picture of Sofjan on the cover under the headline "Bomb for
Conglomerates".
Last week, the group protested outside the Centre for
Strategic and International Studies, a think-tank run by Sofjan
and his brother Jusuf Wanandi. They demanded its dissolution.
The group also called for the prosecution of Sofjan following
allegations that he financed activities of the outlawed People's
Democratic Party (PRD). Sofjan has already been questioned by the
military during which he denied any link to PRD.
He was implicated after his name was mentioned as a potential
financier in documents found in an apartment believed to have
been used by PRD activists. A homemade bomb exploded in the Tanah
Tinggi apartment last month which sparked the probe.
Police have said that Sofjan might be wanted for further
questioning as a witness in their bomb investigation.
The contentious editorial in its Feb. 7 edition is titled
Sofjan Wanandi's Case. Whom Do You Believe?
D&R editors invited representatives of the protesters to meet
them and discuss the problem.
"We are really insulted by this article," Bambang Pribadi, one
of the representatives, told Zulkifli Lubis and Bambang Budjono,
D&R's deputy general manager and managing editor respectively.
Budjono said he respected the protesters' feelings but pointed
out that the editorial merely reflected the opinion of the
magazine's editor.
"We could be right or wrong. We apologize if we were wrong. We
could publish your statement in our next edition," he said.
The protesters appeared to accept the explanation, and shook
hands with Budjono and Zulkifli, and then dispersed. (aan)