Fery's safety in doubt even after his release
Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta
Today is the day RCTI cameraman Fery Santoro is set to be released after almost a year as a Free Aceh Movement (GAM) hostage but it remains uncertain whether he will be free to rejoin his wife, Mayawati, and six-year-old son, M. Ferdian Haryo Santoro.
In a recent telephone interview, Ferry believed his fate remained uncertain even if the rebels released him.
"I am innocent. I haven't done anything wrong. If the government or the military are angry with me, I can only ask for help from all fellow journalists. Please, don't give up trying to release me."
Fery, born in Purworejo, Central Java, on Feb. 18, 1968, has been employed by the RCTI television station since 1983. He was assigned in May last year to Aceh, the same month as the government's decision to impose martial law in the hot spot.
Working in the field, he was intercepted by the rebels traveling in the conflict-ridden area of Peuraeulak in East Aceh, with senior RCTI reporter Sori Ersa Siregar and two local civilians, Cut Soraya and Cut Farida, the wives of Indonesian Air Force officers.
One rule of thumb of journalists traveling in conflict areas is to refuse to give rides to members of warring parties so as to be considered independent.
Ersa ended up paying for the decision to give the air force wives a lift with his life, Fery with his freedom.
GAM first accused the two journalists of espionage, but after a series of interrogations, it declared that Ersa and Fery were clean.
The guerrillas then demanded a three-day cease fire for the release of the civilian hostages last year but the demand was rejected by the military top brass.
What made the case more difficult was that the Indonesian Military (TNI) authorities viewed the journalists as willing participants in their own abductions.
The earlier case of William Nessen, a freelance American journalist who voluntarily joined the Aceh rebels to cover their perspective did not help matters.
After being stranded in an Aceh rebel camp, Nessen was finally picked up by the military after he made contact with a local TNI office. The Aceh martial law administration charged him for visa violations and he was sentenced to a month in jail.
While Nessen's case was completely dissimilar from Ersa's and Fery's, just days after their abductions, local police filed charges against Ersa and Fery of subversion and of taking away the wives of the Air Force officers without consent from their husbands.
Ersa was trapped and killed in December in what the military claimed was a clash between TNI troops and the rebels. Fery was there when the incident happened and is the only independent witness to the death of his colleague.
Rumors at the time circulated among troops in Aceh that the two journalists had assisted the rebels in making documentary films on GAM activities. Nowadays, another accusation is rife that Fery is supporting them as radio operator.
The military seems to disregard the fact that hostages have no rights to exercise their free will.
As a citizen, Fery should have the privilege of the state's protection.