NGOs push for more press freedom in Aceh
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
International and local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have demanded that the martial law administrator in Aceh to give the media the greatest possible access and lift any restrictions on journalists reporting on the conflict in the province.
Freedom of expression has to be upheld so that the public, be they domestic or foreign audiences, receive an honest report of what is happening in Aceh, and to ensure that armed combatants respect civilians' human rights, they said recently.
Article 19, a London-based international organization focusing on freedom of expression, noticed that there had been several developments that limited the freedom of journalists reporting from Aceh since martial law was imposed in the province on May 19.
The latest restriction came from Aceh martial law administrator Maj. Gen. Endang Suwarya, who turned down applications from 10 foreign-based journalists to report from the province, stating that there was no need for foreign observers in Aceh.
"This restriction will inevitably prevent the people of Aceh, Indonesia and the rest of the world, from understanding the conflict issues in the region," said Article 19, in a statement made available to the media.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) shared Article 19's view, and said that any party, including the Indonesia Military (TNI) and the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM), should not curb freedom of expression.
"All parties have to remember that a free press is vital to democracy," the IFJ said in a statement sent to the media.
Authorities have tried to stop most foreigners, including journalists and NGOs, from visiting the province.
On Saturday, the Aceh Police questioned two Malaysian journalists on suspicion of violating their visas.
Police said Samsul Akmar and Abdul Razak of the New Straits Times newspaper were questioned after they reported to police headquarters.
Aceh Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Sayed Husaini said the journalists had a one-month short visit visa and police were trying to determine whether it had been misused.
"Did they have permission to carry out journalistic activities?" he said to reporters.
The journalists, who had been in Aceh for about a week, had a press card from the martial law administrator in Aceh and permission from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to work as reporters, Sayed said.
All journalists reporting from Aceh are required to get accreditation from the martial law administrator. Some journalists have been interrogated and threatened by security forces due to their reporting of military misconduct.
Emulating the U.S. and UK media policy in the Iraq war, the TNI has embedded 54 journalists with its forces, although foreign reporters are not admitted.
The military is giving military training to a second batch of journalists that will be embedded with military troops in Aceh.
The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), through its chairwoman Ati Nurbaiti, was critical of the program, saying that it could produce bias among journalists, especially those who had been told to report on the conflict in Aceh from a "nationalistic perspective".
Besides the restrictions imposed on the media, recent reports of shots being fired at vehicles carrying journalists in Aceh has raised concerns about the safety of reporters in the field.
The IFJ expressed concern at the deterioration of press freedom and safety of journalists in Aceh, and called on all parties, including President Megawati Soekarnoputri, commanders of GAM and the TNI, to respect the independent role of the media.