Friday, August 26, 1994

Joan Jett brings messages on womanhood

Andreas Harsono
The Jakarta Post

JAKARTA (JP): Singer-guitarist Joan Jett proved that she is one of rock 'n' roll most dedicated and hardest-working performers. 

Clad in a black catsuit and red court shoes, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts performed an 80-minute show at Hard Rock Cafe on Jl. Sudirman, Central Jakarta, early this week in the first leg of her Asian tour. 

Opening the show singing her beloved Spinster, the 34-year-old singer with the raunchy voice sang and danced together with hundreds of her admirers to the rhythm of the song.

"I'm a spinster. No one telling me what to do," the singer cried along with the sound of powerful electric guitars and, heart-breaking drum beats. 

Some of the audience waved their hands, some headbanged and sang along with the singer, kissed their lovers while others swayed with ignited lighters in the darkness during some of Joan's sweet songs. 

"Rock n' roll movement is related to breaking down the norms, breaking down the rules, but it's not necessarily breaking the law," she said during a press conference here on Monday afternoon.

"It's not about destruction, but about not following the rules," she said when asked whether she still believed the anti-establishment spirit of rock music.

Joan, who is naturally left-handed but plays the guitar right handedly, introduced some songs from her latest album Pure and Simple, such as Go Home, Eye to Eye, Activity Grrrl, Rubber & Glue, as well as one of her signature songs As I Am.

Western music critics observed Joan's 1994 Pure and When as her most socio-political effort to date, in which only two out of 13 tracks dealt with personal relationships.

Other songs are about social acceptance and single womanhood seared with the with the 1970s. three-chord rock 'n' roll passion that Joan loves so much.

Activity Grrrl talks about women speaking up about abuse, about being put down, while Spinster is about being a single woman and choosing not to get married. 

Guitarist Tony Bruno, drummer Thommy Price and Kenny Aaronson playing bass guitar helped Joan bring back the memories of Cherry Bomb, I Hate Myself for Loving You, I Love Rock 'n' Roll and even Have You Ever Seen the Rain of the Credence Clearwater Revival.

During the press conference, as if referring to her own experience, Joan told reporters about her view on feminism, about how women are treated unfairly in community.

When she was 15 years old, Joan was the creative mainspring of the renowned all-girl rock band, The Runaways, which scored a number of top-selling albums in the United States and European countries in the 1970s.

Yet sad to say, an unstable teenage life, plus the following disappointing record sales and the audience interest, led up to the break up of the band by the late 1970s, leaving a frustrated Joan to turn to alcoholism and drug addiction. 

"No record company wanted to touch her. No one took a female rocker seriously," said her manager, Kenny Laguna, who helped Joan recognizes her talent and produce new records. 

Joan fought her internal demons and with a combination of perseverance and just plain luck, she overcame her drug dependency and the related anti-social behavior to become one of the most exciting solo performers of the 1980s. 

Now in the 1990s, Joan has transformed herself into a socially aware lady rocker, enthusiastically showing a video clip of Go Home, which is attributed to Mia Zapata, a well-known singer of a local band in Seattle, United States, who was brutally raped and murdered on July  7, 1993.

She bluntly said that women should learn simple techniques of self-defense, such as gouging a rapist's eyes, in case they are trapped a sexually dangerous situation.

"I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain," she sang her anthem, while leaving her fans in Jakarta to observe Joan's message about womanhood. 

Joan will also perform at Hard Rock Cafes in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Taipei.


Singer-guitarist Joan Jett rocked Jakarta with her popular tunes, such as Cherry Bomb, I Love Rock'n'Roll, Crimson and even Have You Ever Seen the Rain of the Credence Clearwater Revival, during a show at Hard Rock Cafe on Aug. 22.

Tuesday, August 09, 1994

Agus Sumule: PWI Tandingan

Dari siaran internasional Radio Australia pagi ini saya mendengar bahwa kemarin telah dibentuk organisasi wartawan tandingan sebagai reaksi terhadap PWI yang dinilai tidak becus memperjuangkan nasib wartawan Indonesia. 

Organisasi wartawan yang diberi nama Asosiasi Jurnalis Independen (AJI) (Association of Independent Journalists) ini nampaknya adalah reaksi terhadap pembreidelan dua majalah dan satu tabloid berita baru-baru ini. 

Wartawan Radio Australia di Jakarta mewawancarai pegiat hak-hak azasi manusia, Dr. Arief Budiman, yang hadir dalam pertemuan itu. 

Berikut keterangan Dr. Arief Budiman, "Semangat para peserta sangat tinggi. Mereka membicarakan banyak hal, termasuk konsekuensi dari terbentuknya AJI ini. Mereka juga telah mengeluarkan statemen yang menolak setiap bentuk campur tangan pemerintah dalam organisasi profesi wartawan, termasuk menolak adanya wadah tunggal untuk wartawan". 

Menurut Radio Australia, sudah sekitar 50 orang wartawan yang tercatat sebagai anggota AJI ini. 

Diperkirakan kebanyakan anggota AJI adalah wartawan-wartawan yang majalah/tabloid-nya diberangus tempo hari. 

Dari Siaran Reuter - Amerika pagi ini saya baca, bahwa Goenawan Mohamad, pemimpin redaksi TEMPO (alm.) telah menegaskan komitmen AJI untuk membawa pemerintah ke pengadilan karena tindakan pembreidelan yang dilakukan itu. 

Radio Australia juga memberitakan, bahwa seorang konglomerat yang dekat dengan pihak penguasa telah menawarkan untuk membeli TEMPO -- namun belum mendapat tanggapan dari pemilik TEMPO.

From MAIL_SUMULE@uqvax.cc.uq.oz.au 
Mon Aug 8 19:34 EDT 1994 
Date: Tue, 09 Aug 1994 09:33:37 +1000 (AEST) 
Subject: PWI Tandingan 
To: apakabar@clark.net 

AGUS SUMULE 
A.SUMULE@cc.uq.edu.au AGRICULTURE 
The University of Queensland 
Telephone +61 7 870 9996 
Facsimile +61 7 365 1199
Brisbane Qld 4072 AUSTRALIA 

Monday, August 08, 1994

Sirnagalih Declaration


Sirnagalih Declaration signatories near the swimming pool in Wisma Tempo Sirnagalih, Puncak, Bogor.
The following document signed by 58 journalists from a variety of cities was issued on 7 August. The English translation was received with the original in Bahasa. (tapol@gn.apc.org)

We acknowledge freedom of speech, access to information and freedom of association as a basic right of all citizens.

We recognise that the history of the Indonesian press is marked by press struggles to uphold truth and justice as well as to oppose all types of oppression.

In carrying out its mission, the Indonesian press places national unity and national priorities above individual and group interests.

Indonesia is a constitutional state. Because of this the Indonesian press bases its struggles on legal principles rather than power.

Based on the above mentioned principles:

We reject all kinds of interference, intimidation, censorship and media bans which deny the freedom of speech and open access to information.

We reject all efforts to dissipate the spirit of the Indonesian press venturing to fight for their concerns.

We reject one-sided information advanced for the benefit of individuals or groups in the name of national interest.

We reject any diversions from the law and legal regulations conflicting with Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution (UUD 1945).

We reject the concept of a single conpulsory organisation for journalists.

We proclaim the establishment of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (Aliansi Jurnalis Independen) as an organisation which upholds the struggles and concerns of the Indonesian press.

Sirnagalih, 7 August 1994

Signatories:

Achmad Taufik (Bandung)
Andreas Harsono (Jakarta)
Ardian T. Gesuri (Jakarta)
Arief Budiman (Salatiga)
Aristides Katoppo (Jakarta)

Asikin (Bandung)
Ati Nurbaiti (Jakarta)
Ayu Utami (Jakarta)
Bambang Harymurti (Jakarta)
Bina Baktiati (Jakarta)

Candra Negara (Surabaya)
Christianto Wibisono (Jakarta)
Dadang Rachmat HS (Jakarta)
Dhia Prekasha Yoedha (Jakarta)
Didik Budiarta (Jakarta)

Diah Purnomowati (Jakarta)
Didik Supriyanto (Jakarta)
Goenawan Mohamad (Jakarta)
Happy Sulistiyadi (Bandung)
Hasudungan Sirait (Jakarta)

Heddy Lugito (Yogyakarta)
Hendrajit (Jakarta)
Ida Farida (Bandung)
Idon Haryana (Jakarta)
Imran Hasibuan (Jakarta)

Indrawan (Jakarta)
Jalil Hakim (Surabaya)
Janoe Arijanto (Jakarta)
Keliek M. Nugroho (Surabaya)
Lenah Susianty (Jakarta)

Liston P. Siregar (Jakarta)
M Faried Cahyono (Yogyakarta)
M Thoriq (Yogyakarta)
Fikri Jufri (Jakarta)
M. Anis (Surabaya)

Moebance Moera (Surabaya)
Nuruddin Amin (Yogyakarta)
Putu Wirata (Surabaya)
Ragawa Indra Marti (Jakarta)
Rinny S. Doddy (Bandung)

Rustam Fachri Mandayun (Yogyakarta)
Rudy P. Singgih (Jakarta)
Santoso (Jakarta)
Satrio Arismunandar (Jakarta)
T.J. Wibowo (Jakarta)

Yopie Hidayat (Jakarta)
Yopie Lasut (Jakarta)
Yosep Adi Prasetyo (Jakarta)
Zed Abidin (Surabaya)

The remaining names are the signatures only without the city added. Some signatures are difficult to decipher:

Jus Soema di Pradja
Budiman S. Hartoyo
Yoanida Rosita
Wahyu Muryadi
Toriq Hadad

Saifullah Yusuf
Eros Djarot
Amir ... Jus ... (?)
Dwi Setyo Irawanto

Sunday, August 07, 1994

Deklarasi Sirnagalih


Penandatangan Deklarasi Sirnagalih bergambar depan kolam renang di Wisma Tempo Sirnagalih, sesudah teken deklarasi, pada 7 Agustus 1994.  

Bahwa sesungguhnya kemerdekaan berpendapat, memperoleh informasi, dan kebebasan berserikat adalah hak asasi setiap warga negara.

Bahwa sejarah pers Indonesia berangkat dari pers perjuangan yang menjunjung tinggi kebenaran dan keadilan serta melawan kesewenang-wenangan.

Dalam melaksanakan misi perjuangannya, pers Indonesia menempatkan kepentingan dan keutuhan bangsa di atas kepentingan pribadi maupun golongan.

Indonesia adalah negara hukum. Karena itu pers Indonesia melandaskan perjuangannya pada prinsip-prinsip hukum yang adil dan bukan pada kekuasaan.

Indonesia adalah negara hukum, karena itu pers Indonesia melandaskan perjuangannya pada prinsip-prinsip hukum yang adil, dan bukan pada kekuasaan.

Berdasarkan prinsip-prinsip tersebut maka kami menyatakan:

Satu, menolak segala bentuk campur tangan, intimidasi, sensor, dan pembredelan pers yang mengingkari kebebasan berpendapat dan hak warga negara memperoleh informasi.

Dua, menolak segala upaya mengaburkan semangat pers Indonesia sebagai pers perjuangan.

Tiga, menolak pemaksaan informasi sepihak untuk kepentingan pribadi dan golongan yang mengatasnamakan kepentingan bangsa.

Empat, menolak penyelewengan produk-produk hukum yang bertentangan dengan Pancasila dan UUD 1945.

Lima, menolak wadah tunggal profesi kewartawanan.

Enam, memproklamirkan pendirian Aliansi Jurnalis Independen sebagai salah satu wadah perjuangan pers Indonesia.


Sirnagalih, 7 Agustus 1994