August 9, 1999
His Excellency Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie
President, Republic of Indonesia
Office of the President
Bina Graha, Jalan Veteran No. 17
Jakarta Pusat, Indonesia
Your Excellency,
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is gravely concerned over last week’s brutal murder of Supriadi, a reporter based in Aceh Province who was working for the Indonesian-language daily Medan Pos, a newspaper published in neighboring North Sumatra.
On August 3, Supriadi was abducted from his home near the provincial capital, Banda Aceh, by two unidentified men riding motorcycles, according to the journalist’s wife, Poniyem. On August 5, his severely mutilated body was found at the site of an irrigation project in the town of Bukit Hagu, in Northern Aceh. The Jakarta-based Kompas newspaper, in its Sunday edition, reported that Supriadi had been shot in the chest, and that his throat had been cut so deeply that his head was nearly severed from the rest of his body.
Though the assailants’ motives have not yet been established, CPJ fears that Supriadi may have been killed for his journalistic work. The chief editor of the Medan Pos, Ibrahim Sinik, told Kompas that Supriadi had been investigating corrupt dealings involving an agricultural project intended to help small farmers. Supriadi also reported on development and education issues in Aceh, where a decades-long separatist rebellion has intensified in recent months.
As a nonpartisan organization of journalists dedicated to the defense of our colleagues around the world, CPJ strongly condemns the murder of Supriadi. We urge Your Excellency to ensure that police undertake a thorough investigation into this case so that Supriadi’s killers are brought to justice.
Prompt action in this case will provide further evidence of your government’s commitment to improving conditions for the press in Indonesia, demonstrating that violent crimes against journalists will not be tolerated. CPJ respectfully asks to be kept informed of any developments regarding the investigation.
We thank you for your attention to this urgent matter, and await your response.
Sincerely,
Ann K. Cooper
Executive Director
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Send a letter to:
His Excellency Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie
President, Republic of Indonesia
Office of the President
Bina Graha, Jalan Veteran No. 17
Jakarta Pusat, Indonesia