Journalist killed in Kalimantan
By James Balowski
On July 25, Naimullah, a reporter with the Jakarta daily Sinar Pagi, was found dead in his car in Pantai Peniungan, about 90 kilometres from Pontianak, the capital of West Kalimantan. He had multiple stab wounds in his neck and bruises on his head and body.
According to reports in the July 28 editions of Media Indonesia and Akcaya, Naimullah was investigating a case of illegal logging and was last seen with four men, one of whom worked for a company suspected of being involved with case.
There have now been several violent incidents involving independent journalists who were investigating corruption involving government officials. On July 21, Andreas Harsono, a Jakarta-based journalist involved with the Independent Journalist Association, was attacked in his car by unidentified thugs.
A number of other AJI members have been harassed, arrested and jailed since the association's formation.
On June 12, Mohamad Sayuti, a journalist from an Ujung Padang (South Sulawesi) weekly, Pos Makasar, also died under mysterious circumstances. Sayuti had been researching allegations of official corruption in the Kaya subdistrict.
The daily's editor, Harun Rasyid, told reporters, "His family and we believe that there are strong indications that he was murdered". Family members said that the day before Sayuti's death, he received a telephone threat related to his investigation.
Last August, a journalist with the Yogyakarta-based newspaper Bernas, Fuad Muhammad Syafruddin, better known as Udin, died after being beaten in his home by unknown intruders. He was investigating a corruption case involving the regent of Bantul in Central Java, Sri Rosa Sudarmo.
Sudarmo was never questioned by police. Instead, Dwi Sumaji, an employee of an advertising company, was plied with drink, provided with a prostitute and promised money by police in return for confessing to Udin's murder. On at least three occasions, courts have rejected the police case against Sumaji for lack of evidence.