Press Council issue petition on Ersa, Fery

Muninggar Sri Saraswati and Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Band Aceh

Breaking its silence, the Press Council said on Friday that press freedom in the country was at stake following the death of an RCTI journalist and the hostage-taking of another in restive Aceh.

"We, the Indonesian press society, fear that these incidents could set a bad precedent for restrictions against press freedom and undermine the country's image abroad ... ," the council said in a petition on Friday.

RCTI reporter Sory Ersa Siregar was killed on Dec. 29 in what the military said was cross fire while being held hostage by the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). Ersa, his cameraman Fery Santoro and several other civilians were taken hostage by GAM in June and accused of espionage.

The petition, however, did not spell out the council's efforts to secure the release of Fery or mention the investigation into the death of Ersa.

Backed by 14 major press organizations in the country, the press council said Fery and Ersa were civilian representatives who should have been protected by the warring parties, in line with the Geneva Convention.

Organizations supporting the petition include the Editors Club, the Dr. Soteomo Press Institute, the Indonesia Journalists Association (PWI), the Indonesia Private Television Association (ATSI), the Indonesia Radio Community Network, the Indonesian National Private Broadcasting Radio Union, the Newspaper Publishers Union, the Indonesia Television Journalists Association and the Independent Journalists Alliance (AJI).

The Press Council and the organizations also stated their support for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Indonesia Red Cross (PMI) in facilitating the release of hostages in Aceh.

"We understand that it is not only Ersa and Fery who are victims in this conflict," Press Council chairman Ichlasul Amal told reporters after a meeting with the press organizations.

Ichalasul said the ICRC was in need of moral support to carry out its work, as the only party accepted by both the Indonesian Military (TNI) and GAM.

"We hope support from the press community will boost the morale of the ICRC in their efforts to secure the release of the hostages," he said.

Ichlasul said the Press Council was not planning a formal investigation into the death of Ersa.

"Investigation does not necessarily mean going to the site (of the killing). It can be done through diplomacy and a personal approach," he said.

The Press Council asked, GAM, the TNI and the National Police to open the door for efforts to free the hostages.

In Aceh, the TNI claimed to have shot dead a GAM governor during a battle on Friday morning in Buket Seuntang village, Lhoksukon, North Aceh. The deceased man was identified as 56-year-old Said Adnan Adami, the GAM governor of Pasee region.

Lt. Col. Asep Sapari, the spokesman for the military operation in Aceh, said another GAM guerrilla, identified as Razali, was shot to death during a raid by 20 soldiers in the village.

Asep said Razali deserted the TNI to join GAM in 2000.

The soldiers also seized a Colt pistol, an AK-47 rifle and rounds of ammunition.

The brothers of Said Adnan, Suryati and Sofyan, confirmed that their brother, thought to be one of 17 GAM governors across Aceh, had been killed.

Sofyan said the last time he saw Adnan was five days before a military emergency was declared in Aceh on May 19, 2003.

"I told him to surrender but he refused. He said that he would not surrender even if that meant he had to die," he said.