When the Pen is not so Mighty
It was exactly midday when Hoesin KH was waiting for a minibus in front of Mall Mesra in Samarinda, East Kalimantan. As he got into the vehicle, two strangers followed him. Not long after that, they forced Hoesin to get off. Then the reporter from East Kalimantan’s tabloid, Menara, was pushed into a blue Panther car.
December 26, 2000
Three people were in the car. They briefly questioned Hoesin about his article that reported an alleged abuse of reforestation funds and other forestry monies in the province, which was connected to the governor of East Kalimantan. He later received severe blows to the chest, abdomen and face. Hoesin recounted that the suffering he endured on March 8, 2000 ended only after an hour, when he was dropped onto the side of the road.
Hoesin’s s
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