YOGYAKARTA (Jakarta Post/Pacific Media Watch): A solidarity rally was organised in the Indonesian city of Yogyakarta on Tuesday as a mark of protest against an incident in which petrol bombs were thrown at the house of Frietqi Suryawan, a journalist from newspaper Radar Jogja.
Several media workers participated in the rally to show their solidarity against violence toward journalists and to condemn those who had committed the crime, emphasising that journalism was a respectable profession that aimed to fight for justice.
"We urge the police to take immediate action in this case and find the culprits, in order to stop all forms of violence and terror against journalists," rally coordinator Bagus Kurniawan said, as quoted by Antara news agency.
Early on Monday, several unidentified men hurled three Molotov cocktails at Suryawan's house in the city of Magelang, burning a chair on the veranda.
Speculating that the incident might be related to Suryawan's profession, Kurniawan urged those who were frustrated by media reports to seek clarification from the media through peaceful means.
"If disputes related to media reports occur, the parties can use a resolution mechanism facilitated by the Indonesian Press Council. Please don't resort to acts of violence, terror or intimidation to solve your disputes," he said.
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