Memories Of The Molotov Bomb Throwing Incident At The Tempo Magazine Office

Illustration of Molotov cocktails, weapons believed to have begun use in civil war in Spain in 1930 and were used to terrorize Tempo Magazine on July 6, 2010. (Special)

JAKARTA - Tempo Magazine is known as a straightforward and courageous mass media. Tempo news often makes many officials disturbed. The narrative happened when Tempo magazine issued an issue: Fat Account of Police Officers.

The Tempo magazine cover, which depicts the police's action of pulling a pig can, brought a stir. The picture was protested. As a result, the magazine disappeared from circulation. The Tempo office was then hit by the target of throwing Molotov cocktails.

The extension of Tempo magazine as a mass media of courage was not built in one day. Tempo Magazine has been a critical medium since the New Order (Orba) era. Tempo reports often make Suharto's ears and New Order officials disturbed.

As a result, the New Order once bought Tempo magazine. Not once, but twice. Tempo Magazine did not lose its critical power when welcoming the reform era. The owner of the magazine while maintaining the correct quality of its journalistic products.

No government ulcers have been missed to report. Reportages are again considered noisy. Take for example in the era of the administration of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY). Tempo Magazine bravely issued a report related to the police ulcers.

The special edition was marked by a big theme published in the edition of June 28-4 July 2010: Fat Account of Police Officers. The cover alone is provocative. Tempo tries to describe the action of a policeman pulling a pig can.

The contents made the police chief angry. Tempo revealed that his search was related to the fat accounts of six police officers. The topic is believed to be too sensitive. Because, it is difficult to imagine that members or high-ranking police officers can be rich without any additional business.

The issuance was protested by the Bhayangkara Corps. From Trunojoyo - the Indonesian National Police Headquarters - a letter of protest was sent to Tempo two days after the magazine was published. Police deny they were behind the disappearance of Tempo magazine in the market. In the magazine, Tempo revealed six police officers suspected of having suspicious transactions.

They are Inspector General Mathius Salempang, Inspector General Badrodin Haiti (now the Chief of Police with the rank of general), Commissioner General Susno Duadji, and Inspector General Bambang Suparno, "recorded in a Tempo magazine report entitled Cornered Fat Accounts (2016).

The issuance of Tempo magazine about a fat police account is considered noisy. The narrative resulted in the emergence of an unknown person visiting the printing house where Tempo magazine was produced. The unknown man tried to buy all the copies of the magazine.

The opportunity to buy up was not obtained. Many Tempo people smelled bad behavior. However, they did not give up. They then targeted all selling agents of Tempo magazine and bought it more expensive than the set price. In fact, to areas outside Jakarta.

As a result, the police fat account edition sold out on the market. The narrative made the general public wonder about the loss of Tempo magazine supplies on the market. However, some traders did not lose their minds. They immediately doubled Tempo magazine's fat account edition by photocopying.

Everything was done because the demand for magazines was quite high. However, unfortunate cannot be rejected. The action of buying magazines by unknown people continued to another oddity. The Tempo office, which is located on Jalan Proklamasi 72, Central Jakarta, was hit by a Molotov cocktail on July 6, 2010 in the early hours of the morning.

The action was known to have been carried out by two people riding a motorcycle. The explosion of three Molotov cocktails also tightened the whole building. The criticism of the Molotov cocktails emerged here and there. They believe that Tempo's noise made the police officials disturbed.

However, not a few also suspect that the Molotov cocktail incident emerged from within Tempo magazine itself in order to boost sales. Recently, who is the perpetrator of the bombing is still a mystery to this day, aka it has never been revealed to the public.

In the midst of the increasingly conducive life of democracy in Indonesia which is based on awards for human rights, press independence, dissent, and principles of resolving problems in a civilized and unviolent manner. we are created by the actions of irresponsible people who threw Molotov cocktails at the Tempo magazine office.

"In a democratic climate, this kind of action is clearly unjustified. In fact, it must be strongly condemned," said the Press Council in a written statement quoted on the board ofpers.or.id page, July 7, 2010.