After having two of its published books banned by the AGO in 2007 Galang Press recently had to endure the removal of its newly released title Unmasking the Cikeas Octopus: Behind the Bank Century Scandal by scholar George Junus Aditjondro from bookstores throughout the country.

While the book, which links President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's inner-circle with the Bank Century bailout debacle, is not subject to an official ban, no bookstores are willing to sell it due to unspecified reasons.

The country's largest bookstores, Gramedia and Toko Gunung Agung (TGA), have said they were playing it safe and checking the book's contents first, following earlier reports they refused to carry the title.

"As far as I know, the removal was ordered by an uptight reader. Galang Press, nevertheless, has never received any threats or pressure from anyone to halt the book's distribution," Galang Press director Julius Felicianus said.

Galang Press printed 8,000 copies of the book since Dec. 23 that have been distributed nationwide. Bookstore chains ordered 5,000 copies that were never sold after the "halt request", according to Julius.

It was not until a public outcry and a series of public appearances by the author that the book began to be widely circulated on the street and by several book vendors.

Pressure from politically wired officials have been a popular way of discouraging bookstores and publishers to prevent the distribution of books deemed controversial by the ruling elite.

This method is less controversial than officially requesting the AGO ban the book.

But since 2007, the fate of Galang Press' two other books, Pemusnahan Etnis Melanesia (The Extermination of Ethnic Melanesia) and Tenggelamnya Rumpun Melanesia (The Drowning of Ethnic Melanesia) is still in the hands of the AGO.

"We've always abided by orders *from the AGO* to ban the books," Julius said. "However, we strongly condemn such moves as they violate freedom of speech. The 1963 law on publication banning is no longer irrelevant in the current era."

He said the government never contacted any parties involved in publishing the books prior to issuing bans.

Julius criticized President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party of suppressing pillars of democracy by banning books.

Fellow publisher Awab Said of Republika Publishing said book banning was an unjust practice.

"If there are slanderous allegations, they should be brought before courts for settlement instead of being banned," said Awab, who is a senior legal affairs official with the Indonesian Publishers Association (IKAPI).

He said a court hearing could be used to challenge claims that a book contained "dangerous" messages that could potentially disrupt public order.

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