Journalists arrested in Jakarta
Ahmad Taufik, chairperson of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), another member, Liston P. Siregar, and the outspokenly critical member of parliament, Sri Bintang Pamungkas, were arrested during a celebration of the end of the Muslim fasting month in Jakarta on March 16.
They were released after several hours in police custody. However, Ahmad Taufik was later rearrested from his home on the morning of March 17. A spokesperson for the Jakarta police has said that they are still holding four other people, who are believed to include Danang, Eko Maryadi and Fitri.
The arrests come one week after the arrest of two activists from another alternative media outlet in Jakarta, PIJAR, including the editor of News from Pijar, Tri Agus Siswomihardjo (see page 23). The latest arrests indicate a renewed crackdown on publications critical of the Suharto dictatorship.