The Jakarta Post said two of the bombs exploded but the resulting fire was quickly extinguished. One of the magazine's security guards said the two suspects threw the bombs at around 2:40 pm in Tempo's office in Menteng, South Jakarta.

Antara news agency said Press Council chairman Bagir Mana condemned the attack as a threat to the country's press freedom.

"It doesn't make sense that in this era of free speech and press freedom, this kind of violence can still happen," he said, adding that "this attack is not only a threat to Tempo, but also the national press freedom."

The Jakarta Post noted that the arson attack came in the heels of Tempo's cover story last week on the suspicious bank accounts of several high-ranking police officers.

On 28 June 2010, the Jakarta Post reported that 10 men--thought to be policemen--bought 2,425 copies of the magazine's issue that had the cover story "Police officers' fat bank accounts" from a major newspaper and magazine distribution outlet in Harmoni, Central Jakarta.

Another distributor in Central Jakarta reported that a man bought 1,200 copies of the same issue of the magazine, while in Bandung, West Java, 1,100 copies of Tempo were sold out before 9 am the same day.

The magazine reported that at least seven high-ranking police officers were allegedly hoarding billions of rupiah in their bank accounts, transferred from third parties.

SOURCE

The Allansi Jurnalis Independen (Alliance of Independent Journalists or AJI) is a founding member of Southeast Asia Press Alliance (SEAPA). Based in Jakarta, Indonesia, AJI seeks to promote press freedom and protect the rights of Indonesian journalists.