The following is a 24 February 2000 press release by the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) Jakarta office, of which AJI is a member: PROTEST OF ATTACK OF A JAKARTA NEWS FM RADIO JOURNALIST BY POLICEMEN OF POLSEK JAKARTA SELATAN The Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) Jakarta office condemns the attack on Hais Quraisi, a […]
The following is a 24 February 2000 press release by the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) Jakarta office, of which AJI is a member:
PROTEST OF ATTACK OF A JAKARTA NEWS FM RADIO JOURNALIST BY POLICEMEN OF POLSEK JAKARTA SELATAN
The Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) Jakarta office condemns the attack on Hais Quraisi, a radio journalist with Jakarta News FM, by policemen of Polsek Jakarta Selatan.
This violent act occurred on Wednesday, February 3 at around 4:15 p.m. in front of the Attorney General’s office, in Jl. Hasanuddin, South Jakarta, Indonesia. Hais was on the scene to report on a demonstration in which around 70 students participated. The demonstrators demanded that the Attorney General bring to justice Suharto and a number of military officers alleged to be responsible for human right violations in East Timor. The demonstration ended with a clash between the students and the police officers of Polsek Jakarta Selatan.
After the clash, according to Hais, he was reporting live on air about the latest developments. Suddenly a number of police officers began yelling at him because they were not satisfied with his report which stated that a group of BRIMOB officers (Mobile Brigade) arrived at the location too late. Some policemen not only yelled but also tried to grab Haisâ mobile phone, which he was using to report on the situation. He was able to hold on to his mobile phone, but this seemed to anger the policemen. All of a sudden the police officers attacked him. They beat him on his right shoulder with rattan sticks. Fortunately, a few minutes later, Hais manage to escape from the attackers.
In response to this violence, the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) Jakarta office:
1. Strongly protests the attack against Hais Quraisi by policemen of Polsek Jakarta Selatan.
2. Strongly demands that the authorities investigate this violent act in order to punish those who were responsible for the assault.
3. Strongly urges the police to stop violent acts and show a great deal of respect to the journalistic profession.
4. Hopes that journalists will not be negatively affected by this violence and will continue to work in accordance with the requirements of their profession.
5. Appeals to all parties to guarantee the safety of journalists while on assignment and to respect law and order.
Jakarta, 24 February 2000
Lukas Luwarso Solahudin
Director, Head of Advocacy Division
