2007年VOA标准英语-Media Lawsuit Case in Indonesia Raises Alarm

By Nancy-Amelia Collins
Jakarta
13 September 2007

Suharto (file photo)

Former Indonesian President Suharto's victory in his lawsuit¹ against TIME magazine is raising questions about Indonesia's Supreme² Court. Its decision to order TIME to pay a huge damage award is causing some to criticize the country's judicial³ system and level of press freedom. VOA's Nancy-Amelia Collins has more from Jakarta.

Indonesia's highest court has ordered TIME to pay $106 million to Mr. Suharto for defaming him in a 1999 article. The magazine had alleged⁴ the former dictator and his relatives amassed⁵ billions of dollars during his 32-year rule and stashed⁶ much of it overseas.

In its story, TIME said it traced about $15 billion accumulated by the Suharto family after a four-month investigation⁷ in 11 countries.

The Supreme Court also ordered six TIME journalists to apologize to Mr. Suharto in leading Indonesian newspapers, and in TIME magazine itself.

Mr. Suharto originally filed the suit in 1999. The Supreme Court's ruling overturns two lower court decisions in TIME's favor.

A court spokesman says the panel of three justices found that TIME's article damaged Mr. Suharto's reputation and the lower courts wrongly applied⁸ the law.

Vincent Brossel from the Asia-Pacific Desk of Reporters Without Borders says the ruling calls into question the credibility of the Supreme Court.

"We don't understand and we think that it's a real problem for the credibility of the Supreme Court and also it gives the bad impression that inside the justice system there are more supporters of defending Mr. Suharto's legitimacy⁹ and less efforts to try to get back all the millions, or billions he wrongly took in the past," he said.

TIME's lawyers say they will fight the ruling. But, under Indonesian law, the only legal option open to them would be to request a judicial review, which requires the introduction of new evidence or a procedural dispute.

Brossel says there is concern that if the Supreme Court upholds the decision, it will be a step back for the nation's press freedom, which has been jealously guarded and nurtured¹⁰ since Mr. Suharto's fall from power.

"In the case that the Supreme Court is not changing it's mind - that will be a very dangerous step for the press freedom. I think there have been great achievements in the recent years - especially after Suharto fall down. So if this type of case happens again, that will be very dangerous for the Indonesian media," said Brossel.

TiIME's Indonesia lawyer, Todung Mulya Lubis, notes that although Mr. Suharto's fall ushered¹¹ in a new era of reform in Indonesia, there are still elements of authoritarianism¹² in the country's institutions.

"Let me put it this way. The supporters of Suharto are still within the government, within the parliament, within the judiciary within the business of society. They may not be as strong as in the past but they are still there. We are fighting against that. So this judgment¹³ of the Supreme Court is really a blow for democracy, for the freedom of press," said Todung Mulya Lubis.

Massive student protests over the worsening Asian economic crisis forced Mr. Suharto to resign in 1998.

 

The 86-year-old former leader has successfully evaded¹⁴ prosecution¹⁵ on charges of embezzling¹⁶ state funds ever since. His lawyers have argued he is too ill to stand trial.

1 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

2 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

3 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

4 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

5 amassed   

v.积累，积聚( amass的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He amassed a fortune from silver mining. 他靠开采银矿积累了一笔财富。
• They have amassed a fortune in just a few years. 他们在几年的时间里就聚集了一笔财富。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 stashed   

v.贮藏( stash的过去式和过去分词 )；隐藏；藏匿；藏起

参考例句：

• She has a fortune stashed away in various bank accounts. 她有一大笔钱存在几个不同的银行账户下。
• She has a fortune stashed away in various bank accounts. 她在不同的银行账户上秘密储存了一大笔钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

8 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

9 legitimacy   

n.合法，正当

参考例句：

• The newspaper was directly challenging the government's legitimacy.报纸直接质疑政府的合法性。
• Managing from the top down,we operate with full legitimacy.我们进行由上而下的管理有充分的合法性。

10 nurtured   

养育( nurture的过去式和过去分词 )； 培育； 滋长； 助长

参考例句：

• She is looking fondly at the plants he had nurtured. 她深情地看着他培育的植物。
• Any latter-day Einstein would still be spotted and nurtured. 任何一个未来的爱因斯坦都会被发现并受到培养。

11 ushered   

v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The secretary ushered me into his office. 秘书把我领进他的办公室。
• A round of parties ushered in the New Year. 一系列的晚会迎来了新年。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 authoritarianism   

权力主义，独裁主义

参考例句：

• Modern authoritarianism is a vestige of traditional personal rule. 现代独裁主义则是传统的个人统治的残余。
• In its latter days it was a byword for authoritarianism, incompetence, and corruption. 在后期，它是独裁、无能和腐化的代号。

13 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

14 evaded   

逃避( evade的过去式和过去分词 )； 避开； 回避； 想不出

参考例句：

• For two weeks they evaded the press. 他们有两周一直避而不见记者。
• The lion evaded the hunter. 那狮子躲开了猎人。

15 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

16 embezzling   

v.贪污，盗用（公款）( embezzle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Accordingly, object embezzling waste to be carried temporarily the schedule of administration. 因此，反对贪污浪费就提上了临时中央政府的议事日程。 来自互联网
• Some were sentenced for taking bribes, others executed for embezzling funds. 有的因受贿而被判刑，有的因侵吞公款而被判处死刑。 来自互联网