The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | National | Sun, October 26 2014, 2:28 PM
Human Rights Watch (HRW) deputy Asia director Phelim Kine says the arrest and conviction of two French journalists, Thomas Dandois and Valentine Bourrat, reflects the Indonesian government’s willingness to steamroll over journalists’ rights in order to keep foreign media from reporting on Papua.
In a release made available to The Jakarta Post on Saturday, Kine said Indonesian police had hinted that Dandois and Bourrat, who were producing a documentary on the restive province for Franco-German Arte TV, might face “subversion” charges for allegedly filming members of the separatist Free Papua Movement (OPM).
“The rhetoric masked the government’s anger that the two journalists had run afoul of its decades-old policy of preventing foreign media scrutiny of Papua. That policy makes it nearly impossible for journalists to report freely from the province,” said Kine.
The Jayapura District Court convicted Dandois and Bourrat of “abusive use of entry visas” on Friday. The two journalists, who have been detained since Aug. 6, will be freed on Monday based on the time they have already served.
Kine said that among the obstructions to foreign media access, the Indonesian government requires foreign reporters to get special official permission to visit Papua. However, it rarely approves these applications or else delays processing them, hampering efforts by journalists and independent groups to report breaking news.
“Journalists who do get official permission are invariably shadowed by official minders, who strictly control their movements and access to interviewees,” said Kine.
It was further said the government had consistently arrested and jailed Papuan protesters for peacefully advocating independence or other political change, with more than 60 Papuan activists now in prison on “treason” charges.
Kine said President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, who took office on Oct. 20, would hopefully lift official obstacles preventing foreign journalists and international organizations from visiting Papua.
Jokowi visited Papua during the election campaign and assured journalists that the government “has nothing to hide” on the island.
“Dandois’ and Bourrat’s plight suggests that the government still has plenty to hide and will punish those who challenge its repressive chokehold on foreign media access to Papua,” said Kine.