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The Newspaper Guild-CWA Urges Indonesian Government: 'Don't Jail Journalists,' Reform Draconian Defa
WASHINGTON – Joining with journalism organizations around the world, The Newspaper Guild-CWA today urged the Indonesian government to drop criminal charges against three journalists who face up to four years in jail in a defamation case brought by a businessman.
TNG President Linda Foley personally delivered a letter to the Indonesian embassy here today calling on President Megawati Soekarnoputri to intervene in the case and to act to reform the country's "draconian defamation laws." "Indonesia needs to recognize that it is completely inappropriate to send journalists to jail for defamation; defamation should be tried only in the civil, not criminal, jurisdiction," she wrote.
As journalists Bambang Harymurti, T. Iskandar and Ahmad Taufik were slated to appear in court today in Jakarta, other organizations affiliated with the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) also delivered similar protest letters to Indonesian embassies in Belgium, Australia, Canada, Greece, India and the United Kingdom.
The three reporters are defending themselves against a defamation action brought by businessman Tomy Winata over an article published in Tempo magazine in March of last year that aired allegations that Winata stood to benefit from a fire in a textile market.
Foley urged the Indonesian leader to move to rescind the criminal penalties for defamation as well as a law making "insulting the President or Vice President" a crime.
"The IFJ fears that the use of the criminal code will force the media into self-censorship, effectively reversing all democratic gains fought for since the fall of Soeharto in 1998," the protest letter stated.
The Newspaper Guild represents 40,000 journalists in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico and is affiliated with the 700,000-member Communications Workers of America.
TNG President Linda Foley personally delivered a letter to the Indonesian embassy here today calling on President Megawati Soekarnoputri to intervene in the case and to act to reform the country's "draconian defamation laws." "Indonesia needs to recognize that it is completely inappropriate to send journalists to jail for defamation; defamation should be tried only in the civil, not criminal, jurisdiction," she wrote.
As journalists Bambang Harymurti, T. Iskandar and Ahmad Taufik were slated to appear in court today in Jakarta, other organizations affiliated with the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) also delivered similar protest letters to Indonesian embassies in Belgium, Australia, Canada, Greece, India and the United Kingdom.
The three reporters are defending themselves against a defamation action brought by businessman Tomy Winata over an article published in Tempo magazine in March of last year that aired allegations that Winata stood to benefit from a fire in a textile market.
Foley urged the Indonesian leader to move to rescind the criminal penalties for defamation as well as a law making "insulting the President or Vice President" a crime.
"The IFJ fears that the use of the criminal code will force the media into self-censorship, effectively reversing all democratic gains fought for since the fall of Soeharto in 1998," the protest letter stated.
The Newspaper Guild represents 40,000 journalists in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico and is affiliated with the 700,000-member Communications Workers of America.