Surakarta, en.SERU.co.id – The newly elected chair of the Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) Surakarta, Sri Hartanto, has pushed back against President Prabowo Subianto’s use of the term “londo ireng” to describe journalists, analysts and civil-society groups.
Hartanto said the label risks creating a damaging stigma that could endanger press freedom and the safety of reporters in the field. He stressed that journalism grounded in facts and on-the-ground reporting cannot be equated with betrayal of the nation.
Critical coverage of government programs, from the Free Nutritious Meals scheme and nutrition service units to village cooperatives and legal or social issues, is a form of public oversight meant to improve policy, not a sign of loyalty to foreign interests.
“Media work from the facts on the ground. Criticism is not betrayal. It is responsibility so that policies hit their targets. Sticking labels like ‘foreign stooge’ or ‘londo ireng’ on this profession risks giving the public the wrong idea,” Hartanto said on Friday.
If such language continues, he warned, people may start seeing journalists as enemies of the state. That perception raises the real danger of threats and interference while reporters simply do their jobs.
“We hope the President will view the role of the press proportionally, clearly and wisely. The press is not the government’s enemy. It is a partner in democracy carrying out the mandate of the Press Law,” he added.
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The comments respond to Prabowo’s speech at the 28th anniversary of the National Awakening Party (PKB) in Jakarta on Thursday. In that address the president said the colonial-era term “londo ireng,” once used for Indonesians who collaborated with the Dutch still exists today, only now those people work as journalists, observers or in NGOs.
Prabowo also complained that some media dwell on the schools that have not yet been repaired while ignoring the tens of thousands that have. Officials say roughly 67,000 school buildings have already been fixed, with a target of 100,000 next year.
He insisted the government is not allergic to criticism but wants it delivered fairly.
“We are a democracy. We are not anti-criticism. But we are not children,” the president said. (gts/mzm)
Indonesian Version:
PWI Surakarta Kritik Istilah ‘Londo Ireng’ Khawatir Muncul Stigma Buruk Wartawan
