Indo Falun Gong And Chinese Govt.'s Dispute

Erabaru to Send Protest to China's Government
Thursday, 24 May, 2007 | 16:13 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:PT Radio Suara Harapan Semesta or Erabaru radio station will send a note of protest to China's government next week for being accused of negative propaganda.

Press Legal Aid Institute Executive Director, Hendrayana, said that Erabaru's broadcasting programs were the same as those of other radios.

The news reporting is also already in accordance with the journalistic code of ethics.

“China's government is concerned over too much about Falun Gong,” Hendrayana told Tempo after accompanying Erabaru radio directors giving explanations to the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) in Jakarta yesterday (23/5)

He explained that Erabaru radio has handed all its broadcasting records in a year to KPI for checking purposes.

PT Radio Suara Harapan Semesta's Director, Suhirman, emphasized that Erabaru radio does not have any direct affiliation with Falun Gong, so the accusation that there was Falun Gong's funding when the radio station was established was not true.

However, he acknowledged that some of Erabaru founders were active in Falun Gong.

“Falun Gong is only a sport for health, like taichi. So it's not a problem to join,” he said,

Suhirman is confused by the Chinese government's accusations because the Chinese Government through its embassy in Jakarta has never mentioned the program which is considered as vilifying.

“We once indeed reported about the repression against Falun Gong members. But it was true and worth reporting,” he said.

The Independent Journalists Alliance (AJI) Trade Union Division Coordinator, Winuranto Adhi, who accompanied Erabaru radio directors, said that if KPI fulfilled the request put forward by Chinese government to stop the radio program, it would set a bad precedent for broadcasting.

KPI member, Muhammad Izzul Muslimin, said that KPI will discuss the matter with the Foreign Affairs Department because the department is authorized to deal with the matter.

For the time being, KPI will not stop Erabaru's radio program as Falun Gong is not a forbidden organization in Indonesia.