Budi Sugiarto/BI & LM, Bojonegoro – For the past nine days journalists from several media organisations in Bojonegoro, East Java, have boycotted all reports and announcements from Bojonegoro Police and have now taken legal action. The beating of a local journalist at a demonstration and the contemptuous response of the police have angered the press. Their field commander said at one stage, "What do you want if the victim is only a journalist?"

On Monday, Joko Heru Setiawan, a journalist from the Radar Bojonegoro newspaper, was beaten by members of the crowd control unit from the Bojonegoro police during a protest held by residents of the Sugih Waras village had at the Bojonegoro Police headquarters. The protesters were demanding that the owner of a rice milling operation be released from detention. Caught in the action, the riot police allegedly fired rubber bullet at the protestors and turned on Joko. He was beaten and his camera was confiscated. During the ordeal Joko suffered facial injuries.

The next day, a group of journalists arrived at the Bojonegoro headquarters to inquire about the incident. The Bojonegoro Police Chief, Superintendent Endang Sofyan said that his officers might have been under stress. Endang then apologised for his subordinates' behaviour.

The group then approached the Head of the Operations Command Control Center, Senior Inspector Sunardi, who they believed to be ultimately responsible for the incident. When Sunardi was asked who was responsible for the bashing, he replied by asking the journalists, "What do you want if the victim is a only journalist?" The response from Sunardi then snowballed into a continuing boycott.

On Wednesday, several journalists filed a lawsuit against the East Java Police Chief, Gen. Dai Bachtiar. They also demanded an investigation of the perpetrators.