After 32 years of autocratic rule, President Suharto, a perennial among
CPJ's annual 10 worst Enemies of
the Press, resigned on May 21, driven from power by an economic meltdown,
enraged students, and widespread rioting. Suharto's sudden departure triggered
a wave of cries for "reformasi," or political reform, that swept aside most
restrictions on the press and led to a sudden blossoming of the media in
a country that has rarely experienced unbridled free expression.
Within days of Suharto's exit, new publications were springing to life and
journalists were free to say virtually anything without fear of official
harassment. Despite the ongoing economic crisis, news vendors clogged streets,
feeding a public clamor for information and opinion about the unfolding political
drama that had overtaken the country.
But the Suharto system has not yet changed. His resignation left in place
not only Suharto's hand-picked deputy and best friend, Bacharuddin Jusuf
(B. J.) Habibie, to lead the nation, but also virtually the entire governmental
superstructure of privilege, control, and cronyism that had kept Suharto
in power.
Although the media have been operating freely, restrictive Suharto-era statutes
remain on the books. Still, Habibie amnestied most political prisoners, including
Andi Syahputra, a member of the Alliance of Independent Journalists who was
imprisoned in 1996 for insulting Suharto in print.
The clearest sign of the new freedom came in October when the government
allowed Tempo,
once Indonesia's premier weekly magazine, to reopen. The Suharto
regime had closed Tempo in 1994. Goenawan Mohamad, Tempo's
founder and chief editor, reassembled a staff of veteran reporters,
found the financing, and took the plunge after deciding that Habibie's
government was serious about political reform. Sales have exceeded
expectations and the Tempo group may soon expand into
other media. Goenawan, a recipient of
CPJ's 1998 International Press Freedom Award, said shortly before
the relaunch of the magazine, "The best thing the press can contribute
is to develop a culture of transparency and accountability in the
government. We hope Tempo will become a place that will
help defend and expand our freedoms."
Lt. Gen. Mohamad Yunus, appointed by Habibie as Information Minister, has
spearheaded press freedom reforms. He has eliminated the requirement that
radio and television outlets broadcast hourly government-prepared news bulletins,
lifted censorship of foreign publications sold in Indonesia, and ended mandatory
membership in the state-sanctioned journalists union. In August, Yunus told
a CPJ representative during a meeting in his Jakarta office, "This is my
basic point: The people should be the ones to decide. They need information.
The more, the better." Despite his reformist agenda, Yunus has also had to
spend his time in office denying Australian newspaper reports alleging that
he was in command of troops who murdered five Australia-based reporters in
the East Timor town of Balibo in 1975. The sporadic fits of rioting and violent
unrest that continued to sweep the country after Suharto's resignation left
journalists vulnerable to physical danger. In November, three journalists
were badly beaten in Jakarta during student demonstrations, leading to calls
for the military to respect the rights of the working press. |
| Attacks on the Press in
Indonesia in 1998 |
| Date |
Journalist |
Incident |
| 11/11/98 |
Saptono,
Antara News Agency |
Attacked |
| 11/11/98 |
Eddi
Hasby, Kompas |
Attacked |
| 11/11/98 |
Tatan
Agus, Gatra Magazine |
Attacked |
| 11/11/98 |
Bambang
Wisudo, Kompas |
Attacked |
| 11/10/98 |
John
Stackhouse, Toronto Globe and Mail |
Expelled |
| 09/30/98 |
Rudy
Goenawan, Jakarta-Jakarta Magazine |
Legal Action |
| 05/16/98 |
Sayuti,
Media Indonesia |
Attacked |
| 05/16/98 |
Tutang
Muchtar, Sinar |
Attacked |
| 05/16/98 |
Riyanto
Oemar, Republika |
Attacked |
| 05/16/98 |
Ika
Rais, Pikiran Rakyat |
Attacked |
| 05/16/98 |
AR
Rochim, Aksi |
Attacked |
| 05/16/98 |
Hermansyah
Pani, Surya |
Threatened, Harassed |
| 05/16/98 |
Munawar
Mandailing, Antara national news agency |
Attacked |
| 05/16/98 |
Hindayoen
Nts, Kompas |
Attacked |
| 05/16/98 |
Edi
Romadhon, Kedaulatan Rakyat |
Attacked |
| 05/16/98 |
Yuyung
Abdi, Jawa Pos |
Attacked |
| 05/14/98 |
All
television stations and journalists |
Censored |
| 05/09/98 |
Paul
Watson, Toronto Star |
Expelled |
| 04/17/98 |
All
journalists |
Threatened, Harassed, Censored |
| 03/18/98 |
Allan
Nairn, free-lancer |
Expelled |
| 03/10/98 |
Ging
Ginanjar, SBS Radio |
Imprisoned |
| 03/10/98 |
Adi
Hermawan, Merdeka |
Imprisoned |
| 03/06/98 |
Margiono,
D&R Magazine |
Threatened, Legal Action |
| 03/06/98 |
D&R
Magazine |
Threatened |
| 03/06/98 |
Stephanie
Vaesson, NOS |
Legal Action, Expelled |
| 03/06/98 |
William
Cooper, WTN |
Harassed |
| 03/06/98 |
Gaap
Leemeier, NOS |
Harassed |
| 03/06/98 |
Indonesian
media worker |
Harassed |
| 03/06/98 |
Indonesian
media worker |
Harassed |
|
|
