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Articles - Indonesia

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Indonesia

Papuan activists jailed for treason

Five men were sentenced to three years in jail in the Papua region for raising an outlawed separatist flag and declaring the region's independence, report Human Rights Watch and Pacific Freedom Forum (PFF).

Indonesia

Soldiers kill Papuan independence demonstrators with military assault rifles

Indonesian soldiers violently broke up a peaceful gathering of approximately 1,000 pro-independence Papuans, killing at least three people, reports Human Rights Watch.

Indonesia

New law can be used to spy on and criminalise journalists, dissidents

In addition to giving Indonesian security officials sweeping powers to spy on civilians, new legislation could also give authorities the right to imprison journalists for muckraking reporting, warns the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), a founding member of the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA).

Indonesia

Editor found dead; journalists injured in office raid

An editor on Kisar, one of the eastern Maluku Islands in Indonesia, was found dead with bruises on much of his body on 17 December, report local IFEX member the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). In a separate incident, two journalists were injured when a group of members of the Kaili Youth Front (FPK) raided AJI's and Beritapalu.com's shared office in Palu, Central Sulawesi, on 30 December.

Indonesia

Journalist killed in vicious confrontation between villagers

An Indonesian journalist was hacked to death on 21 August while covering clashes between two villages, report the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) and other IFEX members. The journalist's murder is a stark example of a culture of impunity as police watched the attack and did nothing.

Indonesia

Two environmental reporters found dead; threats to journalists escalate

One journalist's body was found in a river, another died mysteriously in his home, and a third has received a death threat written in blood. Indonesian journalists are under deadly pressure for reporting on environmental degradation and local politics, with threats escalating prior to local elections, report the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).

Indonesia

Activists imprisoned for waving flags, says Human Rights Watch report

The Indonesian government should immediately release the more than 100 Papuan and Moluccan activists imprisoned for peacefully voicing political views, and change laws and policies to protect freedom of expression, says a new report by Human Rights Watch.

Indonesia

"Time" magazine cleared of defaming Suharto

The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) and the Southeast Asian Press Association (SEAPA) welcomed the "landmark ruling" last week of the Indonesian Supreme Court in favour of "Time" magazine in a US$106-million defamation suit filed by former President Suharto.

Indonesia

NUEVA LEY DE INTERNET PENALIZA LA DIFAMACIÓN

Indonesia

UNE NOUVELLE LOI SUR L'INTERNET CRIMINALISE LA DIFFAMATION

Indonesia

NEW INTERNET LAW CRIMINALISES DEFAMATION

Spreading defamatory information in Indonesia can land you up to six years in jail and a fine of 1 billion Rupees (US$15,765,400) under a new Internet law, says the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA).

Indonesia

NUEVE ACTIVISTAS ARRESTADOS POR ONDEAR BANDERA

Indonesia

NEUF ACTIVISTES ARRÊTÉS POUR AVOIR DÉPLOYÉ UN DRAPEAU

Indonesia

NINE ACTIVISTS ARRESTED FOR WAVING FLAG

Human Rights Watch is calling on the Indonesian government to release nine activists in West Papua who have been arrested for displaying the Papuan Morning Star flag and could face charges of rebellion.

Indonesia

SUHARTO GANA CASO DE DIFAMACIÓN DE $100 MILLONES CONTRA REVISTA "TIME"

Indonesia

SUHARTO REMPORTE UNE POURSUITE DE 100 MILLIONS DE DOLLARS CONTRE LE MAGAZINE « TIME »

Indonesia

SUHARTO WINS $100M LIBEL CASE AGAINST "TIME" MAGAZINE

Indonesia's highest court has ordered "Time" magazine to pay former President Suharto more than $100 million in damages for a story that accused him and his family of amassing billions during his rule, report the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF).

Indonesia

UN AVANT-PROJET DE LOI SUR LES ÉLECTIONS GÉNÉRALES CRIMINALISE LA PRESSE

Indonesia

PROYECTO DE LEY SOBRE ELECCIONES GENERALES PENALIZA LA PRENSA

Indonesia

DRAFT BILL ON GENERAL ELECTIONS CRIMINALISES PRESS

On the heels of a court ruling this month that declared criminal defamation against the government unconstitutional, articles in a draft bill would criminalise news reports and journalism during general elections, the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) has found.

Indonesia

DECLARAN INCONSTITUCIONAL DIFAMACIÓN PENAL CONTRA GOBIERNO

Indonesia

LA DIFFAMATION CRIMINELLE CONTRE LE GOUVERNEMENT EST JUGÉE INCONSTITUTIONNELLE

Indonesia

CRIMINAL DEFAMATION AGAINST GOVERNMENT RULED UNCONSTITUTIONAL

The Indonesian Constitution Court has ruled that criminal defamation against the government is unconstitutional and therefore no longer binding, the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) and Human Rights Watch report.

Indonesia

DES MILITANTS PAPOUS INCARCÉRÉS POUR AVOIR MANIFESTÉ LEUR DISSIDENCE DE FAÇON PACIFIQUE

Indonesia

ACTIVISTAS DE PAPÚA ENCARCELADOS POR DISENSO PACÍFICO

Indonesia

PAPUAN ACTIVISTS IMPRISONED FOR PEACEFUL DISSENT

Indonesia continues to keep at least 18 Papuan political opponents in jail for peaceful acts of freedom of expression and opinion, Human Rights Watch said in a report, "Protest and Punishment: Political Prisoners in Papua," released on 21 February 2007.

Indonesia

AUMENTAN ATAQUES CONTRA PRENSA

Indonesia

LES ATTAQUES CONTRE LA PRESSE SE MULTIPLIENT

Indonesia

ATTACKS ON THE PRESS INCREASE

The Alliance of Independent Journalists (Aliansi Jurnalis Independen, AJI) has called on the Indonesian government to do more to protect press freedom following the release of a report that showed attacks on the press increased in 2006 compared to the previous year.

Indonesia

MAYORÍA DE PERIODISTAS ESTÁN MAL PAGADOS: INVESTIGACIÓN DE AJI

Indonesia

LA MAJORITÉ DES JOURNALISTES EST EXTRÊMEMENT SOUS-PAYÉE, CONCLUT UNE ÉTUDE DE L'AJI

Indonesia

MAJORITY OF JOURNALISTS VASTLY UNDERPAID: AJI SURVEY

The Alliance of Independent Journalists (Aliansi Jurnalis Independen, AJI) has found in a country-wide survey of Indonesian media that more than 50 per cent of journalists are unable to cover their basic needs with their salary and are forced to take on other jobs to support themselves.

Indonesia

BANDAS Y MALEANTES PLANTEAN LAS MAYORES AMENAZAS A LA LIBERTAD DE PRENSA

Indonesia

LES DIFFÉRENTES MAFIAS ET LES HOMMES DE MAIN PRÉSENTENT LES MENACES LES PLUS GRAVES À LA LIBERTÉ DE LA PRESSE

Indonesia

MOBS, THUGS POSE BIGGEST THREATS TO PRESS FREEDOM

Mob violence and thuggery were the leading causes of violence against the Indonesian press in 2005, a report by the Alliance for Independent Journalists (Aliansi Jurnalis Independen, AJI) has found.

Indonesia

PERIODISTAS PIDEN AYUDA POR TERREMOTO

Indonesia

APPEL À L'AIDE DES JOURNALISTES À LA SUITE DU TREMBLEMENT DE TERRE

Indonesia

JOURNALISTS APPEAL FOR EARTHQUAKE AID

In the aftermath of an earthquake that devastated central Java in Indonesia on 27 May 2006, the Alliance of Independent Journalists (Aliansi Jurnalis Independen, AJI) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) are appealing for donations to support media workers affected by the disaster.

Indonesia

REPORTERO ASESINADO

Indonesia

UN REPORTER EST ASSASSINÉ

Indonesia

REPORTER KILLED

The Alliance of Independent Journalists (Aliansi Jurnalis Independen, AJI) has sent a fact-finding mission to the village of Tarokan in East Java, Indonesia, to investigate the murder of newspaper reporter Herliyanto, found dead on 29 April 2006.

Indonesia

LE MAGAZINE « PLAYBOY » DÉCLENCHE DE VIOLENTES

Indonesia

REVISTA "PLAYBOY" SUSCITA MANIFESTACIONES VIOLENTAS

Indonesia

"PLAYBOY" MAGAZINE SPARKS VIOLENT PROTESTS

In Indonesia, the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) has expressed concern over threats of violence directed against the local publishers of "Playboy" magazine following the publication's launch two weeks ago.

Indonesia

LA ALIANSI JURNALIS INDEPENDEN ELIGE A NUEVO PRESIDENTE Y SE COMPROMETE A PROMOVER LA LIBERTAD DE PRENSA Y EL PERIODISMO RESPONSABLE

Indonesia

L'AJI ÉLIT UN NOUVEAU PRÉSIDENT ET PREND L'ENGAGEMENT DE PROMOUVOIR LA LIBERTÉ DE LA PRESSE ET LE JOURNALISME RESPONSABLE

Indonesia

AJI ELECTS NEW PRESIDENT, VOWS TO PROMOTE PRESS FREEDOM & RESPONSIBLE JOURNALISM

Violent attacks on journalists and criminal defamation lawsuits aimed at silencing critical media are threatening press freedom in Indonesia, says the new president of the Association of Independent Journalists (Aliansi Jurnalis Independen, AJI).

Indonesia

MEDIOS DE ACEH PROTAGONIZAN RETORNO TRAS TSUNAMI

Indonesia

LES MÉDIAS D'ACEH REVIENNENT EN FORCE APRÈS LE TSUNAMI

Indonesia

ACEH'S MEDIA STAGE COMEBACK AFTER TSUNAMI

The tsunami that wreaked havoc on Asian coastal communities in December 2004 had a particularly harsh impact on media in the war-torn Indonesian region of Aceh. Roughly 100 of the region's 1,000 journalists lost their lives and 70 were forced to live in camps, according to one estimate.

Indonesia

Radio 68H contribue à la reconstruction des médias dans la province d'Aceh, dévastée par le tsunami

Indonesia

Radio 68H ayuda a reconstruir medios en Aceh, devastado por tsunami

Indonesia

Radio 68H Helps Rebuild Media in Tsunami-Devastated Aceh

8 February 2005

Indonesia

LES RESTRICTIONS IMPOSÉES AUX MÉDIAS MENACENT L'AIDE AUX VICTIMES DU TSUNAMI

Indonesia

RESTRICCIONES DE MEDIOS AMENAZAN ESFUERZOS DE AYUDA A VÍCTIMAS DE TSUNAMI

Indonesia

MEDIA RESTRICTIONS THREATEN TSUNAMI RELIEF EFFORTS

As relief efforts continue in Asian communities devastated by the December tsunami, ARTICLE 19, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) are warning that restrictions on media are threatening to impede efforts to provide effective assistance.

Indonesia

PERIÓDICO SOBREVIVE AL DESASTRE DEL TSUNAMI

Indonesia

UN JOURNAL SURVIT AU TSUNAMI

Indonesia

NEWSPAPER SURVIVES TSUNAMI DISASTER

In Aceh, Indonesia, one of the areas worst hit by the tsunami that devastated coastal communities in South Asia, the journalists and support staff of "Serambi Indonesia" refuse to succumb to tragedy. Despite the deaths of half its staff, the newspaper - the only independent daily in Aceh - is continuing to publish, reports the World Association of Newspapers (WAN).

Indonesia

PARMI LES VICTIMES DU TSUNAMI, DES JOURNALISTES

Indonesia

PERIODISTAS ENTRE LAS VÍCTIMAS DEL DESASTRE DEL TSUNAMI

Indonesia

JOURNALISTS AMONG VICTIMS OF TSUNAMI DISASTER

Dozens of journalists and media workers were among the victims of last week's devastating tsunami disaster that has so far claimed the lives of over 150,000 people in South Asia, including staff members of "Serambi Indonesia," the only daily newspaper in the Indonesian province of Aceh, report IFEX members.

Indonesia

DES MEMBRES DE L'IFEX ÉREINTENT UN JUGEMENT SUR LA DIFFAMATION

Indonesia

MIEMBROS DE IFEX CRITICAN FALLO POR DIFAMACIÓN

Indonesia

IFEX MEMBERS SLAM DEFAMATION RULING

Press freedom in Indonesia has suffered a distressing setback with the decision of a Jakarta court to sentence the editor of "Tempo" magazine to a year in prison for defamation. The ruling has drawn an outcry from international free expression organisations, including 18 IFEX members who signed a joint statement condemning the decision.

Indonesia

LES MEMBRES DE L'IFEX PROTESTENT CONTRE DES LOIS SÉVÈRES SUR LA DIFFAMATION

Indonesia

MIEMBROS DE IFEX PROTESTAN POR ESTRICTAS LEYES DE DIFAMACIÓN

Indonesia

IFEX MEMBERS PROTEST HARSH DEFAMATION LAWS

IFEX members are putting Indonesia's harsh defamation laws under the international spotlight, urging the government to bring them in line with international standards on freedom of expression. The attention comes as three journalists face charges that could land them in jail for allegedly libeling a well-known Indonesian businessman.

Indonesia

CAMARÓGRAFO LIBERADO

Indonesia

UN CAMÉRAMAN EST REMIS EN LIBERTÉ

Indonesia

CAMERAMAN RELEASED

The Alliance of Independent Journalists (Aliansi Jurnalis Independen, AJI) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) are breathing a big sigh of relief following news that Indonesian cameraman Fery Santoro has been released from detention by rebels in Aceh.

Indonesia

LA FIJ ET L'AJI RÉCLAMENT UNE ENQUÊTE DES NATIONS UNIES SUR LA MORT

Indonesia

FIP Y AJI PIDEN INVESTIGACIÓN DE ONU DE MUERTE DE PERIODISTA

Indonesia

IFJ, AJI URGE UN PROBE INTO JOURNALIST'S DEATH

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Alliance of Independent Journalists (Aliansi Jurnalis Independen, AJI) are appealing to the United Nations to launch an investigation into the death of kidnapped journalist Ersa Siregar, who was killed on 29 December 2003 during a clash between separatist rebels and government forces in Aceh, Indonesia.

Indonesia

ASSAUT CONTRE LES MÉDIAS EN ACEH

Indonesia

MEDIOS ATACADOS EN ACEH

Indonesia

MEDIA UNDER FIRE IN ACEH

The Indonesian government is preventing journalists from reporting on its military incursion into Aceh, where grave human rights violations are taking place, says a report released by Human Rights Watch.

Indonesia

NUEVOS DIRIGENTES DE AJI DARÁN PRIORIDAD A CAPACITACIÓN EN PERIODISMO Y NORMAS LABORALES

Indonesia

LES NOUVEAUX DIRIGEANTS DE L'AJI ENTENDENT ACCORDER LA PRIORITÉ À LA FORMATION JOURNALISTIQUE ET AUX NORMES DE TRAVAIL

Indonesia

AJI'S NEW LEADERS TO PRIORITISE JOURNALISM TRAINING AND LABOUR STANDARDS

The Alliance of Independent Journalists (Aliansi Jurnalis Independen, AJI) has elected two new leaders, who say they will make journalism training and labour standards a priority for the Indonesian press-freedom organisation.

Indonesia

UN RAPPORT DU CPJ FAIT LA CHRONIQUE DES RESTRICTIONS À LA PRESSE EN ACEH

Indonesia

INFORME DE CPJ DESCRIBE RESTRICCIONES A PRENSA EN ACEH

Indonesia

CPJ REPORT CHRONICLES PRESS RESTRICTIONS IN ACEH

It seems the Indonesian government is taking a page out of the United States' "handbook" on managing the media during wartime. So suggests the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) in a special report released last week. Written by CPJ Asia consultant, A. Lin Neumann, "Out of Sight" chronicles the measures the Indonesian government has taken to restrict coverage of the military conflict in Aceh.

Indonesia

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH MET EN GARDE CONTRE UN RETOUR À L'AUTORITARISME

Indonesia

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH WARNS OF RETURN TO AUTHORITARIANISM

In Indonesia, the repressive dictatorship of Suharto may have ended five years ago, but the ghosts of authoritarian rule are re-emerging, warns Human Rights Watch. In a report released last week, the group says that under President Megawati Sukarnoputri, who took power on 23 July 2001, a quietly growing trend is emerging of regressive policies aimed at curtailing political dissent in Indonesia.

Indonesia

JOURNALIST'S BODY FOUND, ANOTHER REACHES SAFETY

The body of Mohamad Jamal, a camera operator for Indonesia's state-run television station TVRI, has been found nearly one month after he was kidnapped in the strife-torn province of Aceh, report the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the World Association of Newspapers (WAN).

Indonesia

JOURNALISTS UNDER FIRE IN ACEH

In Indonesia, the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA), Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) have raised the alarm over a series of attacks on journalists covering the military conflict in Aceh province and what they say is mounting evidence of the Indonesian military?s moves to restrict reporting there.

Indonesia

DES PROJETS DE LOI SUR LA LUTTE CONTRE LE TERRORISME ET SUR LA RADIODIFFUSION INQUIÈTENT LES DÉFENSEURS DE LA LIBERTÉ D'EXPRESSION

Indonesia

Y PROYECTOS DE LEY DE DIFUSIÓN PREOCUPAN A DEFENSORES DE LIBRE EXPRESIÓN

Indonesia

ANTI-TERRORISM, BROADCASTING BILLS WORRY FREE EXPRESSION ADVOCATES

As Indonesia deals with the aftermath of the Bali terrorist attack which killed close to 200 people in October, the government has introduced two bills which critics say threaten the country's fledgling free press, report the Alliance of Independent Journalists (Aliansi Jurnalis Independen, AJI), ARTICLE 19 and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Indonesia

LES OBSERVATEURS DÉNONCENT LE PROJET DE LOI SUR L'INTERDICTION DES ÉMISSIONS RADIODIFFUSÉES PROVENANT DE L'ÉTRANGER

Indonesia

PROYECTO DE LEY QUE PROHÍBE DIFUSIONES EXTRANJERAS

Indonesia

CRITICS SLAM PROPOSED LAW BANNING FOREIGN BROADCASTS

The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), ARTICLE 19 and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) have expressed alarm at an Indonesian government proposal to pass a law that would ban foreign radio and television programs and encourage state interference in public broadcasting.

Indonesia

AJI CALLS PRESS SITUATION DISMAL IN 2001

The situation of the press in Indonesia in 2001 was dismal, marked by the continuous threat of violence against journalists and the prevalence of low wages which lead to bribery, concludes a year-end report recently released by the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI). The organisation counted 95 cases of violence against journalists last year, of which 38 were committed by police, government and military forces. Of the 95 cases, less than 5 per cent of their suspects were brought to trial. The threat of violence has led to self-censorship in the media, says AJI.

Indonesia

L'AJI QUALIFIE DE LUGUBRE LA SITUATION DE LA PRESSE EN 2001

Indonesia

AJI CALIFICA DE SOMBRÍA LA SITUACIÓN DE LA PRENSA EN 2001

Indonesia

AJI'S OFFICES ATTACKED; MURDER PROBE URGED

The offices of the West Papua (Irian Jaya) chapter of Indonesia's Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) have been attacked by unknown assailants, following journalists' investigations into the recent assassination of a prominent pro-independence leader, reports the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA).

Indonesia

SUSPEND SA PUBLICATION; LES REBELLES PAPOUS LIBÈRENT LES CINÉASTES BELGES

Indonesia

REBELDES DE PAPÚA LIBERAN A CINEASTAS BELGAS

Indonesia

LARGEST NEWSPAPER SUSPENDS PUBLICATION; PAPUA REBELS RELEASE BELGIAN FILMMAKERS

The largest daily newspaper in Indonesia's conflict-ridden Aceh province, "Serambi Indonesia", suspended publication on 11 August under pressure from the separatist Free Aceh Movement (Gerakan Aceh Merdeka, GAM), report the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters sans frontières (RSF). GAM leaders were angered by a 10 August article about the massacre of 31 villagers in eastern Aceh. CPJ notes that the police hold GAM responsible for the killings, while GAM blames Indonesian security forces. GAM accuses "Serambi Indonesia" of siding with the government in its coverage of the massacre. "I have forbidden [the newspaper] to publish lies," a GAM spokesman told The Associated Press, according to CPJ and RSF. "People here say that they will burn down the newspaper office and kill the workers." The newspaper has not produced an issue since 10 August and it is unclear when publication will resume, says CPJ. In June, "Serambi Indonesia" was forced to suspend operations temporarily after receiving threats from GAM. [See IFEX "Communique" #10-27.]">http://communique.ifex.org/articles.cfm?category=1%20Regional%20News&volume=10&issue_no=27%26amp;lng=english#3354">IFEX "Communique" #10-27.]

Indonesia

LA NOUVELLE PRÉSIDENTE POURRAIT RÉTABLIR LES CONTRÔLES DE LA PRESSE

Indonesia

NUEVA PRESIDENTA PUEDE REVIVIR CONTROLES DE PRENSA

Indonesia

NEW PRESIDENT MAY REVIVE PRESS CONTROLS

Indonesian journalists are concerned that Megawati Sukarnoputri, sworn in as president on 23 July, may reinstate the Ministry of Information, reports the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). The ministry was used to censor and control the media during former President Suharto's authoritarian rule. On 27 July, journalists across the country began protests to prevent any attempt to revive the ministry. The protests followed local and international media reports that members of Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle favour the reintroduction of bureaucratic controls on the press. CPJ notes that the abolition of the Ministry of Information, coupled with a liberal print media law passed in the fall of 1999, has led to a dramatic expansion of Indonesia's media, "with hundreds of lively publications emerging to explore the political and social changes sweeping the country."

Indonesia

PERIODISTAS SE ENFRENTAN AL TERROR EN ACEH; FIP OBTIENE GARANTÍA DE SEGURIDAD

Indonesia

LA FIJ OBTIENT DES GARANTIES DE SÉCURITÉ

Indonesia

JOURNALISTS FACE TERROR IN ACEH; IFJ SECURES SAFETY GUARANTEE

Being a journalist in Indonesia's conflict-ridden province of Aceh means that "you are damned if you do and damned if you don't," according to the June issue of "Alert", published by the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA), which includes the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) as a member. The cover story, entitled "Terror in Aceh", notes that groups involved in Aceh's armed conflict seek favourable media coverage and journalists whose reporting is deemed to damage their public image are seen as enemies. As a result, media that aim for balanced reporting can end up becoming the enemy of both sides. "Ten pieces of pleasant news are quickly forgotten, while one piece of unpleasant news will always be remembered," notes the article.

Indonesia

JOURNALIST FOUND DEAD IN ACEH

Rusli Radja, from the weekly magazine "Pena Lestari", was found dead in eastern Aceh in north-eastern Indonesia on 18 February, according to Reporters sans frontières (RSF). Local witnesses said the body showed signs of torture. RSF notes that more than 5,000 people have been killed in the past ten years in Aceh, where separatist movements are at war with the government.

Indonesia

LES PROTESTATIONS SONT EFFICACES, DIT UN JOURNALISTE REMIS EN LIBERTÉ

Indonesia

PROTESTS MAKE A DIFFERENCE SAYS LIBERATED JOURNALIST

Journalist Oswald Iten, jailed for 12 days in Indonesia, says international action helped bring about his release, reports the World Association of Newspapers (WAN). Iten, a reporter for the Zurich-based "Neue Zürcher Zeitung," was jailed on 2 December, leading to international protests from governments and press freedom groups. "My release is proof that such interventions do really matter and show results," Iten says in a letter to WAN. Iten was held in the municipal jail of Jayapura, Irian Jaya, on a charge of illegal journalistic activity. Most of his fellow prisoners in the crowded cell were Papuans fighting for West Papua's independence from Indonesia. Iten believes that the jail superintendent intended to make an example of him, demonstrating that the policy of zero tolerance toward the Papuan independence movement also applied to foreigners. The charges against Iten could have led to a prison sentence of up to five years. "But after 12 days, the man's calculations were upset when Jakarta issued an order for my deportation," writes Iten. The journalist's disturbing account of "incredible brutality" in the jail can be found at http://www.nzz.ch.">http://www.nzz.ch/english/background/background2000/background0012/bg001222west_papua.html">http://www.nzz.ch.

Indonesia

PERIODISTAS VIVEN EN PELIGRO A PESAR DE NUEVA LIBERTAD

Indonesia

LES JOURNALISTES VIVENT DANGEREUSEMENT, MALGRÉ DE NOUVELLES LIBERTÉS

Indonesia

JOURNALISTS LIVING DANGEROUSLY DESPITE NEW FREEDOMS

Journalism is becoming increasingly unsafe in Indonesia, according to the Alliance of Independent Journalists' (AJI) end-of-year note and a report from the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) entitled "100 Attacks on Indonesian Journalists." Ironically, this comes at a time when press freedom is on the rise. Between January and mid-October 2000, 118 cases of violence and pressure toward the press were documented by AJI. Members of the public with grievances against the press are increasingly engaging in violence. In many cases, violence is perpetrated by private security forces and militias. In one case last May, the office of the "Jawa Pos" was invaded by the Banser NU, the paramilitary youth wing of the influential grassroots Muslim organisation Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), resulting in the daily's Sunday edition going unpublished. In another incident in June, the office of the tabloid "Bijak" in Padang was invaded and destroyed by students and lecturers of the Padang State University who were dissatisfied with a published article. SEAPA reports that the lack of confidence in the legal system, along with the cost and delays involved in legal proceedings, are among the reasons why people are choosing "street justice" over legal recourse.

Indonesia

ACADÉMICO DE ACEH ASESINADO, CONTINÚAN VIOLACIONES E IMPUNIDAD

Indonesia

UN UNIVERSITAIRE D?ACEH EST ASSASSINÉ DANS UN CLIMAT D?IMPUNITÉ

Indonesia

ACEH ACADEMIC MURDERED AS VIOLATIONS AND IMPUNITY CONTINUE

On 16 September, academic Safwan Idris was assassinated by unknown assailants while in his home in Banda Aceh, reports Human Rights Watch (HRW). Idris, a prominent academic in the Aceh region of the country, was part of the Independent Investigation Commission set up by the Indonesian government to investigate past military atrocities and other gross human rights violations in Aceh, says HRW. According to HRW, unconfirmed reports suggest that the assailants may have been Affiliated with the Mobile Brigade police forces in Banda Aceh. Members of the HRW Academic Freedom Committee call for a thorough investigation into the murder and warn that "if the Indonesian government doesn't investigate his murder, that will send a dangerous signal that Jakarta is not committed to a peaceful solution in Aceh."

Indonesia

LA VIOLENCE SE POURSUIT CONTRE LES JOURNALISTES AU TIMOR ORIENTAL

Indonesia

CONTINÚA VIOLENCIA CONTRA PERIODISTAS EN TIMOR ORIENTAL

Indonesia

VIOLENCE AGAINST JOURNALISTS CONTINUES IN EAST TIMOR

The majority of United Nations workers and journalists have now been evacuated out of East Timor as violence continues to escalate. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) reports, ?The majority of people taking refuge in the UN compound in Dili have been evacuated...journalists havebeen told they cannot remain...[and]...the IFJ office was ransacked by militia at the weekend.? Some journalists have remained, however, and have been under harsh attack, in what Reporters san frontières (RSF) is calling a forced ?news black-out.? Some have disappeared, while others have beendetained, threatened and injured. The IFJ compares East Timor to Pol Pot?s Cambodia, while RSF reports that the Indonesian government?s evacuation order to journalists amounts to ?a death threat against journalists,? reporting that ?a short time ago, two journalists were shot and injured in an incident in which it appears that they were deliberately targeted by militia members.? While the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) reported one of the four missing journalists safe in East Timor on 10 September, they confirmed that the whereabouts and safety of the other threejournalists, along with four activists, remain unknown. AJI demands that martial law be revoked, that the missing journalists be released, and that the presence and safety of journalists in East Timor beguaranteed. RSF urges that the press be allowed into East Timor ?so that militias and the Indonesian army not be allowed to continue their abuses with complete impunity, sheltered from the eyes of theinternational community.?

Indonesia

SE ABRE EN TIMOR ORIENTAL OFICINA PARA SEGURIDAD DE MEDIOS

Indonesia

LE BUREAU DE SÉCURITÉ POUR LES JOURNALISTES OUVRE SES PORTES AU TIMOR ORIENTAL

Indonesia

SAFETY OFFICE FOR MEDIA OPENS IN EAST TIMOR

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has opened the Safety Office for Media in East Timor (SOMET) in Dili. The project was carried out in conjunction with the Alliance of Independent Journalists in Indonesia (AIJ) and the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) in Australia. SOMET functions as a solidarity center for journalists who come to the region. The office has created a guide for visiting media staff and also provides assistance in securing accommodation, translators and drivers. East Timor continues to be a dangerous place for both local and foreign journalists. On 30 August, residents of East Timor will vote in a United Nations sponsored referendum on autonomy/independence.

Indonesia

SUR LA LIBERTÉ DE LA PRESSE

Indonesia

PERIODISTAS ATACADOS EN TODO EL PAÍS

Indonesia

LES JOURNALISTES SONT AGRESSÉS PARTOUT DANS LE PAYS

Indonesia

JOURNALISTS ATTACKED ACROSS THE COUNTRY

Journalists have been attacked recently across Indonesia, report the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). On 11 March, journalists were hurt in Jakarta, Pontianak, West Kalimantan, and Sawahlunto Sijunjung, West Sumatra. In February, journalists were threatened in East Timor. AJI reports that three photographers and a journalist, along with numerous students, were among those injured when students at a protest rally clashed violently with security personnel in Jakarta on 11 March.

Indonesia

DES JOURNALISTES SONT BLESSÉS ET MENACÉS

Indonesia

PERIODISTAS LESIONADOS Y AMENAZADOS