Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) says a rising tide of violence against members of the news media threatens the freedom of the press in Indonesia.
AJI chairman Heru Hendratmoko said Friday that there were 75 cases of harassment of journalists nationwide this year, up from 53 last year.
The cases mostly occurred in Jakarta, where there were 17. East Java had 14 incidents and West Java had 10. They included evictions, lawsuits and various threats. Physical attacks were the most frequent kind of incident. Police and government officers were mostly the ones committing the actions, the group said.
"We are concerned about the freedom of the press in this country when we see the increase in the number of cases involving violence. Such conditions are a criminal act against the press," Heru said.
"To some extent, we're glad that the public has become more aware of their right to information and that they have been highly critical when they find misleading news. But on the other side, overwhelming criticism by the government and the public have the potential to pose a threat to press freedom."
Heru cited the 2007 reports from the groups Freedom House and Reporters Sans Frontieres, saying even though Indonesia was considered to have a healthy democracy, the country had yet to achieve complete press freedom due to the many cases of violence against journalists.
Heru said reporters also faced harassment through the legal system. "The threats are no longer committed in the form of censorship or bans like during the New Order regime, but they emerge in criminal sentences on journalists. Such conditions may hinder journalists in carrying out their work appropriately."
AJI secretary-general Abdul Manan said that among the worst cases was a verdict finding that Time magazine had libeled former President Soeharto. The Supreme Court ordered the magazine to pay a fine of Rp 1 trillion (US$106.3 million).
Another major case involved the leak of Tempo magazine reporter Metta Dharmasaputra's telephone text messages in connection with a tax fraud case at an agriculture company, he said.
The group demanded that law enforcers investigate numerous cases of harassment and violence against press workers.
"On the other hand, journalists should also conduct their duties appropriately, including delivering accurate information, to minimize the risk of being sued by the public or the government," Abdul Manan said.
"Although there is still a possibility of being sued, at least they can defend themselves in court and get more of a chance to win," he said. "And if they are sued, they can use their right to answer and correct their mistakes."