Indonesia Raya (newspaper)
Indonesia Raya was an Indonesian newspaper co-founded in 1949 by Mochtar Lubis. Before its permanent closure in 1974, it was banned numerous times by both the Sukarno and Suharto governments.
| Founder(s) | Mochtar Lubis |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1949 |
| Language | Indonesian |
| Ceased publication | 1974 |
| Country | Indonesia |
| |
History
Indonesia Raya was co-founded in 1949 by Mochtar Lubis.[1] It received irregular funding from military intelligence officers[2] and operated under the opinion that, for the free press, the government was "adversary number one".[3] By 1956 its circulation was 40,000,[4] but after 1957 Indonesia Raya was banned six times.[1]
In October 1958, Indonesia Raya was banned and Mochtar Lubis imprisoned.[5] The daily did not resume publication until 1968, when the New Order government permitted its publication.[1] Former employees and staff were asked to return and continue their work.[5]
Beginning in 1969, Indonesia Raya published many articles regarding corruption in Pertamina. Although some newspapers, including Kompas, supported Indonesia Raya, others claimed that Indonesia Raya had a conflict of interest with Pertamina and accused it of trying blackmail the oil company. Eventually, in August 1970 Indonesia Raya was told to desist their reports or face serious repercussions.[6]
Indonesia Raya covered the 1973 Thai student demonstrations and the downfall of the regime. This coverage has been suggested to have been one of the causes of the Malari incident.[7] In 1974, following the incident, Indonesia Raya was banned again; this was due in part to the newspaper's coverage of corruption in Pertamina.[1][5] Mochtar Lubis and several other journalists were imprisoned without a trial, while others were blacklisted.[5] It was eventually decided to discontinue the newspaper.[1]
References
- A. Junaidi (3 July 2004). "Press freedom fighter, writer Mochtar Lubis passes away". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved 9 July 2011.
- Hill 1994, p. 32
- Kakiailatu 2007, p. 61
- Kakiailatu 2007, p. 70
- Badri Jawara (23 July 2002). "Press freedom 'still under threat'". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved 9 July 2011.
- Hill 1994, p. 38
- Hill 1994, pp. 153–154
Bibliography
- Hill, David T. (1994). The Press in New Order Indonesia. Jakarta: Equinox. ISBN 978-979-3780-46-7.
- Kakiailatu, Toeti (2007). "Media in Indonesia: Forum for political change and critical assessment" (PDF). Asia Pacific Viewpoint. 48 (1): 60–71. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.525.9292. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8373.2007.00330.x.