Reply to Petrus Suryadi Sutrisno

Petrus Suryadi

By Raimundos Oki
Once more, although I am not comparable to a Petrus Suryadi but I am not a sycophant who covers up his mistake to seek the face in the land that he used to despise. In addition, Petrus Suryadi’s pieces always represented the government of Timor - Leste, the legal experts of communication, and the press in Timor - Leste. In fact, the media community mentioned in Petrus’ pieces did not speak nor comment. Petrus Suryadi Sutrisno’s pieces were only a stepping-stone to seek the face of the leaders in Timor - Leste in order to cover his mistakes in the past.

Before answering Petrus Suryadi Sutrisno’s piece, first I want to emphasize here that I do not want to comment on the case of the Prime Minister Rui Maria de Araujo’s defamation demands against me, Raimundos Oki, Lorencio Vicente Martins, and Timor Post. I do not want to intervene on the work of the prosecution of this case. [I trust the authority to carry out their duties in accordance with applicable law in Timor - Leste, not in Indonesia. As the son Saben, Oe - Cusse (Timor - Leste), I am ready to accept the consequences of any of the Prime Minister Rui Maria de Araujo’s demands. As the son of the people of Timor - Leste, I have collaborated with the legal and justice system in this country because I dared to act (do) and dare to be responsible. Once again, this article is not heading to the Prime Minister Rui Maria de Araujo’s defamation demands, which are still in progress at the High Prosecutor's office Timor - Leste (Prokuradoria Jeral Republika).

I am Raimundos Oki not appropriate at all to compete equally with a senior reporter such as Petrus Suryadi Sutrisno who has already became a journalist since January 1976 when I was not yet born on earth. In addition, Petrus Suraydi was more than ten times active and involved in the Intelligence Operations abroad, particularly in Europe, and Portugal/East Timor. He used to be the first Indonesian journalists who managed to enter Portugal despite at the time of the Republic of Indonesia and Portugal did not have diplomatic relations. Assignment Communication-Public Relations-Social & Community Development Interdept Military Headquarters - Ministry of Home Affairs, as Senior Communications - Media Consultant for East Timor, 1985 - 1997 Senior Consultant in East Timor Media Centre, 1997.

However, my analysis to Petrus Suryadi Sutrisno’s piece that was published at the opinion column in printed edition of Timor Post Daily on Wednesday, 4 May, 2016, as well as in the Independente Daily, on Thursday, 5 May, 2016 was filled with expressions of his disappointment on the support of four world press organizations as International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Freedom House, as well as the Asosiasaun Jornalista Timor - Leste (AJTL) and Timor - Leste Press Union (TLPU) to me, Lorencio Vicente Martins and Timor Post. In my view, before such press organizations of the international community and TL supported me, Petrus Suryadi had been visiting the Timor Post with the aim and intention to give a legal advisor and an expert witness on the case of Defamation sue of Prime Minister Rui Maria de Araujo in court, but his good will was rejected by Chief Editor (Editor in Chief) of the Timor Post, Santina Araujo that time. It was very unfortunate.

Learning from the support of such global media groups, Petrus Suryadi Sutrisno also attempted to cancel the presence of the IFJ and the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) in an international seminar on 3 May and at the JL Villa, Fatuhada - Dili. For Petrus Suryadi, IFJ and SEAPA presence at such an international seminar should be rejected because such organizations are the main supporters of Raimundos Oki, Lorencio Vicente Martins, and Timor Post. [In addition, he viewed that] Lorencio Vicente Martins, Timor Post, and I should not have the support of the global media group, because, such global media groups had blindly defended Defamation case performed by Raimundos Oki, Lorencio Vicente Martins, and Timor Post they had three times violated journalistic ethics.

Here I want to explain to the public that Petrus Suryadi, the former subordinates Defense Attaché Embassy in the Netherlands, has been blind. He considers himself old journalist but simultaneously he failed to get news updates relating to me, particularly about the case of Becora and the salaries at the FDCH. The victim of Becora case had filed the traffic police that was allegedly involved in the case to the prosecutor's office in Dili and the victim has given recognition to the PNTL Department of Justice last week. When this case occurred at the first time on 12 March, I went straight to the crime scene (TKP). I then immediately provided evidence what was happening at that time. On the next day, Monday 13 March, I immediately confirmed the traffic police at his workplace, but he refused to give a statement on the allegations of the victim. I did not know exactly whether the victim’s allegation was right or wrong. Let us wait for the results of the ongoing investigations in the PNTL (justice department) and the prosecutor in Dili.

Regarding the news of Fundo do Desenvolvimento do Capital Humano (FDCH); Timor Post published such a story based on the documents that had been accessed from the official site of Transparency (Portal Transparansia) under the control of the Ministry of Finance. In the description segment was written that the salaries for secretary Director of FDCH, Ismenio, was $ 11,000/month. However, when Ismenio was asked for confirmation, he denied such information, since the salary of $ 11,000 was not for one month, but it was a collection of two months. Ismenio also acknowledged there had been a human error on the portal transparency and he promised to fix it. Unfortunately, until now, the public does not have access at this portal, and they do not know whether the payroll staff of FDCH has been repaired or not. I did not know because after writing the news of payroll employees FDCH, I could not access the portal anymore

Petrus Suryadi Sutrisno set two of my reports as the main sources in his piece to undermine the reputation of the Global Media Groups for the sake of economic and other interests in Timor - Leste. Especially, in the current governance structure. Global Media Groups were comprised of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Freedom House, and South East Asia Journalists' Union (SEAJU) including Asosiasaun Jornalista Timor - Leste (AJTL) and Timor - Leste Press Union (TLPU) is not very important in the eyes of Petrus Suryadi.

Again, although I was not comparable to Petrus Suryadi but I am not a sycophant that covers his mistake for seeking the face on the land that he used to despise. Petrus Suryadi’s piece always represented the government of Timor - Leste, the legal experts of communication, and the press in Timor - Leste. In fact, the media community mentioned by Petrus’ piece had not yet spoken nor given any comments. Petrus Suryadi Sutrisno’s piece was only a stepping-stone to seek the face of the leaders in Timor - Leste in order to cover his mistakes in the past. Petrus also criticized Jim Nolan of the IFJ, because he did not consult to Petrus when coming to participate in recent international seminar on the World Press Freedom Day in Timor - Leste. Petrus Suryadi felt inferior because the Global Media Groups did not acknowledge him as an advisor of SEKOMS on Defamation case that was still in ongoing process.

Petrus Suryadi was also very upset to the reaction of the Global Media Groups to the defamation case charged by Prime Minister Rui Maria de Araujo of criminal cases because, in Petrus’ eyes, the case was not a national problem (a big issue?) in Timor - Leste, so that it should not necessarily invite the reaction of the Global Media Groups that provided solidarity and protection to Raimundos Oki, Lorencio Vicente Martins, and Timor Post. However, why should Petrus Suryadi blame this case? I have been ready to accept the consequences of any of the Prime Minister Rui Maria de Araujo’s demands. Indeed, I will not interfere the Prime Minister’s sue, but let the authorities to resolve it in accordance with the applicable law and justice in Timor - Leste. In addition, I am ready to accept the good or bad consequences of this case of defamation demand.

Translated by Former Program Manager at Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) Wisnu T Hanggoro.