Jakarta Post - Javanese Patsies

The Jakarta Post makes itself out to be a neutral English language newspaper upholding the principles of freedom of speech. They are not, they are Javanese Patsies. I refer specifically to my experiences with their web site, the Jakarta Post.

The Jakarta Post;
1) Does not publish anything about dissident Indonesian regions such as West Papua (Irian Jaya) which does not meet the Indonesian Government's strict guidelines (only publish what we say you can).
2) Does not publish any facts about police or TNI (army) corruption except for cases in the courts and / or what the Indonesian Government gives them.
3) Does not publish anything which shows the judiciary, government and Indonesia's major corporations commit corrupt fraud unless the government says they can.
4) Edits statements made by 3rd parties so as to change the context and with it the meaning of what was being said.
5) Often publishes people are guilty of crimes before they have been convicted (think slander and Indonesia's legal presumption of innocence).

In April 2009, I gave up posting certain factual rebuttal messages to articles on the Jakarta Post after they a) edited my messages (which they claim they never do) and b) declined to publish quite appropriate responses to articles they had published.

Let me give you an example, in April 2009 they published an article on "How to Name and Shame Indonesian style". I posted a response stating it was dangerous for people in Indonesia to publish a name and shame because of their extremely abused criminal libel law. In that message I stated that people should be careful and make sure they only publish their Indonesian name and shames outside Indonesia and with it outside Indonesian jurisdiction. I also pointed out that even putting themselves outside Indonesia's jurisdiction and very nasty criminal codes did not mean protection even then. I pointed out documented facts on how the Balinese police had unlawfully placed an Interpol watch order against me for a name and shame about them I published outside Indonesia on the basis this somehow terrorized people and therefore I was a terrorist! Correct, I have the proof of this.

So the Jakarta Patsies' article was both badly advised and extremely dangerous, but would they let people know the risks? Oh no, because this would mean publishing something about the police they did not have permission to. It is also clear the Jakarta Post are very much restricted on what they write and allow to be said regarding West Papua.

To show how nasty and even unlawful the Jakarta Post truly are, you need only look at their article regarding Thai woman Chanraem Suwanson, a woman arrested by Indonesian Customs officers at Juanda Airport, Surabaya. Please read their story and see how a) they state her guilt as fact, not allegation, b) they publish a photo of her (against her human rights) while the goons in uniform wear masks to protect their identities, and c) how the officers are handling the bags of narcotics bare handed, thus destroying any fingerprint evidence and making the evidence inadmissible in a court of law (though Indonesian courts overlook such things; think Schapelle Corby). Did the Jakarta Post Patsies allow my comments pointing these facts out? Why no, they did not.

During the phony 2009 elections (phony because no left of right, non-Muslim and / or regional parties are allowed to stand), the Jakarta Post went on and on about how the police were investigating an attack on a West Papua police station by Papuans (armed with only spears, clubs, etc.) left one police officer dead, yet they would not report the AP and other wire stories about how many Papuan civilians, including a 10 year old child, were murdered by Indonesian police firing indiscriminately into a crowd protesting unfair elections. The Jakarta Post also refused to publish the story, widely covered outside Indonesia, about the 5 old Australians being held in West Papua (after having been acquitted of spying - they went to Papua openly but without visas / permits and never got further than the airport) because the prosecutors were not happy! The point being this proved Indonesia does not have a judicial presumption of innocence as they claim. Of course the Jakarta Post declined to publish messages about these events in Papua as well. Absolute proof the Jakarta Post does not report openly and evenly.

In another case and at the same time, the Jakarta Post published details of the trial of Pilot M. Marwoto Komar, the bad ass pilot who crashed a Garuda Indonesia airplane at Yogyakarta Airport killing 21 passengers, including several important Australians. But despite the facts of the time being reported by newspapers outside Indonesia, the Jakarta Post refused to publish my message which simply said "1) Why is Marwoto Komar wearing his Garuda pilot's uniform in court? I thought Garuda had fired him! 2) Who is paying for Marwoto Komar's lawyers? Elsewhere I have read Garuda are! 3) Why was Marwoto Komar charged with deliberately crashing his plane? It seems this prosecution was designed to fail! 4) Why isn't the Garuda fuel bonus scheme at the time of the crash being disclosed and used in the defence? It was widely reported elsewhere Garuda had a bonus program for pilots who landed first time and saved precious expensive fuel. 5) Marwoto Komar was sentanced to 2 years for criminal negligence, which jail is he going to; a regular nasty Indonesian jail or the so-called "Tommy Suharto Suites", a luxury penatentiary where prisoners have there own private street exits/ entrances?

In another, their article was about being proud to be Indonesian. I simply asked the questions "Why are you proud? 1) Indonesia was founded by WW2 Axis war criminals (Sukarno and Hatta) because the USA wanted them in power for political and economic gain while other Axis war leaders were humiliated and put to death! 2) Also, Indonesia's only claim to its territories / provinces is that they are former Dutch colonies. Yet they also state what the Dutch colonials did was evil. So why was it evil for the Dutch to supress indigenous people's aspirations of self-determination by force, but somehow it is not for Jakarta? 3) Many organizations such as Human Rights Watch say Indonesia has one of the worst human rights records in the world. Are you proud of that? 4) Transparency International and others say Indonesia is one of the most corrupt countries in the world and Indonesian police, judiciary, politicians and political aprties are the most corrupt in Indonesia, to the extent commerce and even life itself can not take place without corruption. Are you proud of that? 5) The USA, Britain and Australia earn billions of dollars via de facto single award contracts for natural resources, etc. at the expense of the Indonesian people. Their corporations abusing offshore subsiduaries to circumvent their parent company country's own laws on corruption, money laundering, etc. Putting money into the pockets of wealthy influential western business leaders and corrupt Indonesian officials while the everyday Indonesian is just above the bread line. Are you proud of that? 6) Because Indonesian passports can be bought and sold openly, Indonesians face increased visa checks and costs when wanting to travel overseas. Are you proud of that? 7) When my wife tells someone she is Balinese they typically are very curious and happy. When she tells them she is Indonesian they generally frown or look down. Are you proud of that?" Of course, the Jakarta Post declined to publish the message, despite the fact it gave balance to the sea of euphoric twaddle and falsehoods including how Indonesians were perceived with great respect around the world.

The Jakarta Post are patsies. Do not believe what they publish, they have sold out on the principles they falsely claim to uphold.