Source: Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), Jakarta The Indonesian government has put pressure on the local media to report positively on government-backed efforts to unseat Megawati Sukarnoputri, the chairwoman of the opposition Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI). Media sources said that army officers on 2 June 1996 invited most of Indonesia’s chief editors to attend two […]
Source: Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), Jakarta
The Indonesian government has put pressure on the local media to
report positively on government-backed efforts to unseat Megawati
Sukarnoputri, the chairwoman of the opposition Indonesian
Democratic Party (PDI).
Media sources said that army officers on 2 June 1996 invited most
of Indonesia’s chief editors to attend two “media briefings”
during which Lt. Gen. Syarwan Hamid, Maj. Gen. Suwarno Adiwijoyo
and Brig. Gen. Amir Syarifudin asked them “not to exaggerate”
their coverage on Megawati — who is popularly known here by her
first name.
Gen. Syarwan stressed that the military will back a congress
planned by breakaway members of the PDI who obviously intend to
unseat Megawati.
One briefing took place on Sunday morning, 2 June, at the
Ministry of Information and another one in the evening at the
four-star Hotel Equatorial in Central Jakarta. Another one took
place on 5 June with editors of the national weeklies.
Gen. Syarifudin, who is the spokesman for the powerful Armed
Forces, asked the editors not to use the words “to unseat” and
“to topple” in their reporting. He went further and asked the
editors to use the name Megawati Kiemas when referring to the PDI
chairwoman — the surname of her husband — rather than the name
she is commonly known by — Megawati Sukarnoputri — after her
father, the charismatic and revolutionary President Sukarno, whom
President Suharto, the current leader, replaced after an abortive
coup d’etat in 1965.
The media briefing has clearly intimidated the media, which
have since toned down their coverage of the PDI saga. The
military-backed government has in the past closed down dozens of
newspapers braving such a briefing. The government closed down
three news weeklies in June 1994 and later jailed journalists —
members of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) — who
protested the closure.
Recommended Action
Please send appeals to Indonesian authorities:
profession freely, including reporting on politics without fear
of reprisals
intimidate editors and their staff
Appeals To
Gen. Feisal Tanjung
Commander of Indonesian Armed Forces (ABRI)
ABRI Headquarters
Cilangkap
Jakarta 13870
Fax: + 62 21 840 5547
Mr. Ali Alatas
Foreign Minister
Jl. Taman Pejambon 6
Jakarta 10410
Fax: +62 21 345 7782
Fax: +62 21 360 517
Please copy appeals to the originator if possible.
