(AJI/IFEX) – Violence has again been used against journalists. On March 11 1999, journalists were hurt in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, and Sawahlunto Sijunjung, West Sumatra. In Pontianak, three unknown men beat Lamhot Sihotang, a journalist for “Forum” magazine. Lamhot was stabbed three times, and required treatment at a nearby hospital. There are strong indications that […]
(AJI/IFEX) – Violence has again been used against journalists. On March
11
1999, journalists were hurt in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, and
Sawahlunto
Sijunjung, West Sumatra. In Pontianak, three unknown men beat Lamhot
Sihotang, a journalist for “Forum” magazine. Lamhot was stabbed three
times,
and required treatment at a nearby hospital.
There are strong indications that the chief of Pontianak Resort Police,
Lieutenant Colonel (Police) Manahan Daulay was involved in this
incident.
“Lamhot” magazine (Forum No.25/VII/22 March 1999, p. 75) had reported
that
Daulay had been ordered by the West Kalimantan Police Chief to return 25
million rupiah (approx. US$2,900) which he had illegally collected from
two
gambling premises.
AJI’s information indicates that several days after Lamhot sought
confirmation from Daulay, on 15 February 1999, the police chief sent
Biseng,
a businessman, to threaten Lamhot not to publish the news. The police
chief
stated that he would take matters into his own hands, were Lamhot to
defy
this threat. The Police chief threatened Lamhot again on 7 March. The
following night Lamhot was confronted by the police chief and two
plainclothes men in the Hotel Kapuas coffee shop. Three nights later,
another confrontation took place at the same location.
Lamhot left the coffee shop in the middle of the night and walked
towards
his car, located in the parking lot. Suddenly a man, who appears to have
been waiting for Lamhot near his car, attacked and beat him. Lamhot
resisted, but two men who were waiting in a nearby vehicle came to his
assailant’s assistance. Lamhot continued to resist, but was stabbed
three
times. His attackers fled, and Lamhot was taken to St. Antonius
Hospital, in
Pontianak.
Meanwhile in West Sumatra, an angry mob beat fourteen journalists from
various mass media, then chased and threatened to kill them, while the
journalists were on duty in Gunung Medan, Sawahlunto Sijunjung District.
These journalists were beaten when reporting on location at a legal
dispute.
The journalists had been invited by one of the parties to the dispute.
Six photographers were abducted and threatened with death while they
were
taking pictures. When the remaining journalists arrived on location
accompanied by the court officials, about 300 men suddenly and viciously
attacked them. G. Santos, from the Indonesian Educational Television,
and
Afrinal Aliman, from “Singgalang Daily Newspaper,” were injured and
received
treatment at Yos Sudarso Hospital in Padang. Both were beaten, while
their
cameras and handphones were seized and smashed.
The abducted journalists were able to leave the location and take their
injured TPI colleague to Kotobaru Community Health Centre (about thirty
km
away). But a mob now using a vehicle continued to pursue them. This mob
seized the video cassettes of three television stations (RCTI, SCTV, and
TVRI) and a newspaper journalist’s film (from “Singgalang Daily”). The
mob
threatened to kill the journalists if they didn’t hand over their film
and
cassettes.
After leaving Kotobaru Health Centre, these journalists were confronted
by a
mob carrying sharp weapons which had been brought to the location in a
truck. The mob damaged a journalists’ car, smashing all of its windows.
Fortunately the journalists escaped.
Concerning these two incidents, AJI:
1. Condemns violence or taking the law into anyone’s hands, be they
police
or members of the wider community, in response to journalists engaged in
their work.
2. Demands the commencement of legal proceedings against the
perpetrators of
this violence.
3. Appeals to all parties, from both government and society, to respect
freedom of the press, and guarantee the safety of journalists engaged in
investigative reporting.
