12 January 2005
NEWSPAPER SURVIVES TSUNAMI DISASTER
In Aceh, Indonesia, one of the areas worst hit by the tsunami that devastated coastal communities in South Asia, the journalists and support staff of "Serambi Indonesia" refuse to succumb to tragedy. Despite the deaths of half its staff, the newspaper - the only independent daily in Aceh - is continuing to publish, reports the World Association of Newspapers (WAN).
The tsunami killed half of "Serambi Indonesia's" 200 staff and destroyed its printing plant. Many survivors lost family members, and most of their homes were destroyed. Yet the newspaper, located in Banda Aceh, one of the hardest hit localities, resumed publication five days after the disaster, bringing vital information to local people on where to find food, medical help, and news of relatives, family and friends.
It did this by publishing from a small impromptu office and printing at a second plant in Lhokseumawe, a five-hour drive from Banda Aceh, WAN says. The first edition published after the disaster carried a headline that read "Cholera is threatening our refugees" and included a telephone number and message urging employees to call in and let the editors know they were still alive. The newspaper was distributed for free for nearly two weeks following the disaster and is now sold for 1,500 rupiah (16 US cents).
"Most of the reporters and workers lost their families, lost their houses, lost everything they had," says Sentrijanto, the Director of PT Indopersta Primamedia, a holding company for 10 Indonesian newspapers, including "Serambi Indonesia."
"The company spends money everyday without revenue as there are no advertisements and they were distributing the newspaper for free." And yet the newspaper's staff "feel it is their responsibility as the only local newspaper published in Aceh," he says.
WAN says those who wish to send financial aid to "Serambi Indonesia" staff and their families can contact Sentrijanto at sentrijanto@persda.co.id
Aliansi Jurnalis Independen (AJI), an IFEX member in Indonesia, is also accepting donations for Indonesian journalists and families. For information on how to contribute, contact: sekretariatnya_AJI@yahoo.com
"Serambi Indonesia" has played an extraordinary role in Aceh in providing information and education on the decades-long conflict between government forces and separatist rebels, says Eddy Suprapto of AJI.
Suppressed under the dictatorship of former President Suharto, the newspaper came to prominence after pro-democracy protests forced Suharto from power in 1998, reports the Associated Press. After 1998, it began to report more freely on the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels, quoting their commanders for the first time.
But in 2004, the Indonesian military threatened to shut "Serambi Indonesia" down unless its reporters stopped asking the rebels for comment for their stories. GAM rebels also criticised and threatened the newspaper, accusing it of siding with the government.
The lack of independent information sources in war-torn Aceh is a particular cause of concern for free expression organisations. Prior to the tsunami, Aceh was under a state of civil emergency due to ongoing fighting between GAM rebels and Indonesia's armed forces, says Human Rights Watch. A series of government regulations since the resumption of military operations in May 2003 had also severely restricted access to Aceh for international humanitarian organizations, members of the foreign media, and independent monitors.
For more information, visit:
Visit:
- WAN:
http://www.wan-press.org/article6116.html- Human Rights Watch:
http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2005/01/06/indone9955.htm- Associated Press:
http://www.newssafety.com/stories/ap/aceh03.htm- AJI Appeal:
http://www.seapabkk.org/column/2005/01/20050101.html- Southeast Asian Press Alliance:
http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/63752/- IJNet Special Report on the Asian Tsunami Crisis:
http://tinyurl.com/a5o86