(CPJ/IFEX) – CPJ is expressing its deep alarm over the beatings suffered by four journalists, who were attacked by security forces while covering street clashes between police and student demonstrators outside the parliament building in Jakarta on 11 November 1998. According to several sources, Saptono, a photographer with the official Antara News Agency, was attacked […]
(CPJ/IFEX) – CPJ is expressing its deep alarm over the beatings suffered by
four journalists, who were attacked by security forces while covering street
clashes between police and student demonstrators outside the parliament
building in Jakarta on 11 November 1998.
According to several sources, Saptono, a photographer with the official
Antara News Agency, was attacked while documenting an incident in which a
student drove into a group of soldiers near the parliament building at the
height of the demonstrations on the afternoon of 11 November. Although
Saptono identified himself as a journalist, security forces seized his
camera and dragged him along the street. He suffered a broken leg and other
injuries, and was hospitalized in serious condition. “I saw one female
student trampled on the head by a soldier. Then suddenly they beat me,
though I told them I was a newsman,” said Saptono after the attack.
Two other photographers working at the scene, Eddi Hasby of the daily
newspaper “Kompas” and Tatan Agus of “Gatra Magazine”, attempted to assist
Saptono but were also beaten, though not as severely. A reporter, Bambang
Wisudo of “Kompas”, was beaten by soldiers and fled the scene.
In the aftermath of the attacks, more than 200 journalists representing most
major Indonesian news organizations gathered at the parliament building to
protest the treatment of their colleagues and demand an apology from the
government. The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) in Jakarta issued
a statement protesting the attack and calling on police and soldiers to
respect the rights of the working press. “The violent treatment of
journalists is clearly a criminal act and a blatant violation of the
security forcesâ duty to protect society,” the AJI statement said. “The
security forces should also
protect journalists engaged in their profession.”
Recommended Action
Send appeals to the President:
hold the perpetrators accountable for their actions
responsible for maintaining order during demonstrations to respect the right
of journalists to do their job without interference. If journalists are
attacked or harassed by security forces, it inhibits the publicâs access to
vital news reports. It is up to his government to guarantee that the press
is free to do its job
Appeals To
His Excellency Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie
President, Republic of Indonesia
Office of the President
Bina Graha, Jalan Veteran No. 17
Jakarta Pusat, Indonesia
FAX: +62 21 778 182
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
