Aceh: `Embedded or dead'

Aceh: `Embedded or dead'

Maimun, Chief Editor, 'Beudoh' Weekly, Banda Aceh

Only tears and prayers accompanied Jamaludin, 30, the
cameraman of state television station TVRI, on his journey home
to his Creator. Discovered about a month ago on the banks of the
Lamnyong River, Banda Aceh, only a few meters away from our
office of the Beudoh (Awaken) tabloid, the traces of torture on
his body left a chilling message, particularly for fellow
journalists.

News of his death came while journalists were barely coping
with new restrictions on covering the war in Aceh through the
censorship measure of Presidential Decree No. 43/2003.

Journalists now assigned to Aceh have become quite familiar
with the mental terror perpetrated against them, particularly
when attending regular press conferences held by the military
administration.

Then, there is the bureaucratic procedure involved in
obtaining press cards issued by the martial law authorities, an
act that indirectly contradicts Article 4 of Law No. 40/1999 on
press freedom -- though indeed the authorities would cite their
legal rights based on the 1959 law on martial law.

Those covering Aceh are also continuously challenged with
accusations on being partial to either warring party, while they
might have intended to side with humanitarian concerns.

One example is how Free Aceh Movement (GAM) members reportedly
chased a reporter of the private television station TV7 just
because GAM was not happy with what they called pro-Indonesian
Military (TNI) coverage. For the same reason, the cameraman of
another private television station Metro TV, among those embedded
with the TNI, became target practice.

The warring parties know full well that the key to victory
depends not only on the weapons but also on public opinion --
which is why in Aceh journalism is restrained and interfered with
and reporters and editors are harassed and intimidated in a bid
to control public views.

Press members in Aceh also face the daily challenge from their
editors who demand "exclusive" reports, while they must also save
their skins. Hence the option of being "embedded" with the TNI,
although journalists are noncombatants.

Embedded journalism is a new phenomenon in Aceh. With dozens
of journalists embedded with the TNI, the result has been the
stigmatizing of journalists opting to be "embedded" with GAM, as
in the case of American journalist William Nessen. Restrictions
were tightened on the press following the knowledge that he was
in a GAM hideout.

So far, embedded journalism has shown us what we sacrifice in
a bid to gain "exclusive" reports. Under mutually beneficial
conditions we may gain such reports, while the military acquires
many opportunities to control public opinion -- not to mention
what becomes of the perspective of victims themselves, the
civilians trapped in the war.

It is thus urgent to decide whether embedded journalism should
remain an option in covering the Aceh war.

There must at least be an effort to find a way to ensure that
journalists can maintain a role toward peacemaking in Aceh.

Another obstacle to the press trying to do its job has been
the term "nationalism". The martial law administration in Aceh
regularly preaches "nationalism" to journalists assigned in the
province.

If the military seeks the cooperation of the media in
defending the integrity of the unitary state, it is enough for
the TNI to let journalists do just what they are supposed to do.
We cannot be forced to make the choice of "be embedded or dead."
The endeavor to produce objective, balanced and valid reports is
above everything else.