"TEMPO" Takes Its Tempo to be Sold out

Jakarta, Indonesia (News Today) - Indonesian police on Wednesday refuted speculation its officers were ordered to buy up thousands of copies of a magazine featuring a story about alleged police corruption, saying its disappearance could be a publicity stunt.

The June edition of Tempo magazine, which is famous for its investigative journalism, features a cover story titled “The fat bank accounts of police officers”, accompanied by a drawing of a policeman leading three pig-shaped money boxes on leashes.

The case raises questions over whether Indonesia’s police force, which was involved in restricting press freedom during the autocratic rule of ex-President Suharto last century, is returning to its previous ways. Indonesia is rated one of the most corrupt countries in Asia, and a lack of legal certainty has stymied foreign direct investment, but rampant graft has not stopped a wave of foreign buying of the country’s bonds and stocks in the past year.

Local media reported that police were seen buying up thousands of copies of the magazine shortly after it hit newstands this week, but police spokesman Edward Aritonang said on Wednesday this was untrue. “It’s true that in some areas, police officers bought up five or more copies but this is because they were embarrassed about the perceptions of the police being portrayed with pigs.

There was no order to buy copies,” he told Reuters by phone. “I think this is part of Tempo’s publicity strategy.”

Aritonang said police would investigate whether the story was based on leaked confidential documents, and may also report Tempo’s editors to the legal authorities for depicting police alongside pigs. Pigs are considered offensive in majority-Muslim Indonesia.

Tempo’s executive editor, Arif Zulkifli, told Reuters that 30,000 new copies of the edition were printed on Wednesday after 60,000 copies disappeared from shelves on Monday and Tuesday. Each copy costs about $3, though prices doubled this week.

“We have not concluded who bought that amount of magazines. Maybe it was people who don’t like Tempo publishing a cover story about the bank accounts of the police,” he said.

“However, I am not worried about press freedom in Indonesia because we are guarded by the constitution. We can reprint and it’s on our website.”

Local entrepreneurs have been selling photocopies of the magazine on the street in Indonesia, where many feel the case underscores the need for widespread police reform.

Source : kompas

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