We are calling on your help and support to join a campaign to ensure that Indonesian journalists are not jailed for defamation.
On Monday 16 August 2004, journalists Bambang Harymurtui, Iskandar Ali and Ahmad Taufik are appearing in court in Jakarta to defend themselves against a defamation action brought by businessman Tomy Winata over an article published in Tempo magazine on 3 March 2003. The article aired allegations that Winata stood to benefit from a fire in a textile market.
The journalists face up to four years jail each if found guilty.
The IFJ is preparing a global campaign for that day calling on the Government of Indonesia to remove defamation from the criminal jurisdiction.
The IFJ affiliate in Indonesia, AJI, will be delivering a letter of protest from the IFJ to the office of the President of Indonesia.
We are asking all affiliates to deliver copies of the letter to the Indonesian embassies in their country on the same day.
We are hoping that you will be able to do this in your country so that we can include your country on the list of countries involved in the campaign. I've included the final letter and a draft media release which explains the situation further. Please do not distribute the media release and please do not distribute the letter until Monday.
Can you please let me know if you or someone from your organisation will be able to do this in your country next Monday 16 August 2004. If we can get a photo or some sort of report back on the presentation to the embassy that would be very helpful. Please let me know as soon as possible if you are going to participate in the campaign.
We're also asking affiliates to write direct to their Foreign Ministers on the Monday as well to ask them to put pressure on the Indonesian Government so let us know if you can do this as well.
Look forward to hearing from you,
Lara Hook
Project Co-ordinator
IFJ Asia-Pacific
Phone: 61 2 9333 0919
Mobile:+61 (0)402 85 0611
Fax: 61 2 9333 0933
www.ifj-asia.org
www.ifj.org
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