The Alliance of Independent Journalists has sent a strong protest to the Jakarta daily, Media Indonesia for sacking one of its journalists, Meilani Dhamayanti. She was sacked for her report of an interview with the chairperson of the PRD on 20 January. The item entitled "The person guilty of the bomb blast" included just one paragraph from the interview. She was attempting to present both sides of the story.

As Meilani said in her letter to the editors on 22 January, that she handed in the interview to the editors meeting and did not know whether her story would be published. Moreover two of her superiors expressed the opinion that it was OK to publish the story.

On 20 January, Meilani was summoed by the chief executive of Sumber Daya Manusia and told that the publication of the interview jeopardised the future of the paper and therefore, on the instructions of Suryo Paloh, editor in chief of the paper, Meilani was being asked to quit.

AJI says in its statement that there can be no justification for her dismissal as she had performed her duties professionally. What is still worse is that editor in chief Suryo Paloh sent a copy of the dismissal letter to armed forces headquarters, a body that has nothing whatever to do with running the newspaper. He was clearly trying to rebutt a document of the PRD which mentions that Suryo Paloh's paper is supportive of the PRD in the party is being reported in the newspaper.

AJI demanded that Meilani should be reinstated. Media Indonesia proclaims itself as being "the voice of the people". It should not act in this arbitrary fashion, especially at times like these when an economic crisis is raging and there is a crisis of confidence in the government.

The statement is signed by chair Lukas Luwarso and Secretary Dadang RHs.