Covering both sides a tough challenge in Aceh war<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Lhokseumawe, Aceh<\/p>\n
Covering a war anywhere in the world always exposes a journalist
\nto the risks of compromising the basic principle of impartiality
\nfor his or her own safety.<\/p>\n
After a few days on assignment in war-torn Aceh, a number of
\nreporters, both from the print and the electronic media, claimed
\nthey had to cope with intimidation from both the military and
\nFree Aceh Movement (GAM) separatists.<\/p>\n
Local Aceh daily Serambi Indonesia became the first media to
\nbe instructed by the martial law administrator not to print
\nstatements from GAM, accusing the rebels of distorting the facts.<\/p>\n
The military has also considered curbs on media coverage amid
\nrumors of expulsion of foreign journalists from the province.<\/p>\n
Aceh military commander Maj. Gen. Endang Suwarya said rules on
\npress coverage would soon be issued, adding that journalists
\ncovering the conflict would have to be accredited with the
\nprovincial military command.<\/p>\n
\"I want all news published to contain the spirit of
\nnationalism. Put the interests of the unitary state of Indonesia
\nfirst. Don't blow up the news from GAM,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Under martial law, the military possesses excessive powers,
\nincluding the authority to impose a news black-out.<\/p>\n
Another day, reporters from Jakarta-based private television
\nchannel Metro TV were given a verbal reprimand by a military
\nofficer because of their footage displaying a group of people
\nwearing GAM symbols who were helping local residents extinguish a
\nfire at a school in Bireuen. The officer also threatened to expel
\nthem from Aceh if such a footage appeared again.<\/p>\n
The reporters argued they had no prejudice when a group of
\npeople claiming to be GAM members stopped them and directed them
\nto a school building which was being razed by fire.<\/p>\n
\"But the officer turned a blind eye to the situation we had
\nfaced on the ground,\" one of the TV crew said.<\/p>\n
Being embedded with the military has ironically posed a matter
\nof safety to some journalists.<\/p>\n
Apart from having no access to independent sources, those
\njournalists have found themselves the target of GAM, mainly due
\nto their proximity to the military.<\/p>\n
To their surprise, the rebels have the list of 54 journalists
\nwho are embedded with the military after undergoing a four-day
\ndrill in the Sangga Buana training camp belonging to Army
\nStrategic Reserve Command in the West Java town of Purwakarta.<\/p>\n
One of the journalists, who works for state-owned channel
\nTVRI, told The Jakarta Post she had just been taken by a group of
\nGAM members for interrogation when she was covering an arson
\nattack on a school building in Bireuen on Monday.<\/p>\n
\"I was so frightened and tried to convince them that I was not
\npart of the embedded journalists. Thank God the rebels released
\nme even though they initially threatened to detain me,\" she
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Another embedded journalist was evacuated by the military to
\nanother hotel in Banda Aceh following information that GAM rebels
\nwere looking for her.<\/p>\n
The GAM commander in North Aceh, Abu Jamaika, said there had
\nbeen no order from the group's top brass to intimidate
\njournalists, whoever they were.<\/p>\n
He said GAM respected journalists, who he said were bound to
\ncarry out a check and balance function amid the military's
\npropaganda.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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