Protests mount over the killing of 'TVRI' cameraman

Protests mount over the killing of 'TVRI' cameraman

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Press defenders voiced strong protests over the killing of Banda
Aceh-based TVRI cameraman Jamaluddin, 30, saying that the Aceh
martial law administration should protect journalists, instead of
restricting news seekers from covering the ongoing war in the
troubled province of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam.

Press Council chairman Atmakusumah Astraatmadja called on the
police to hold a thorough investigation into the killing and
disclose the results of who should be held responsible for the
murder, whether they be government troops or Free Aceh Movement
(GAM) rebels.

"Jamaluddin's murder remains unclear. Why he had to face this
fate ... Some allege that he was involved in the secessionist
movement by collecting money from locals. Is that true? The
police must answer these questions," Atmakusumah told The Jakarta
Post on Friday.

Jamaluddin was found dead last Tuesday at Kreung Cut village,
Darussalam district, Banda Aceh, after being missing for a month.

Jamaluddin was the first journalist killed in Aceh since the
government declared martial law in the oil-rich province on May
19 to crush rebel who have been fighting for independence since
1976. Rights activists estimate that over 10,000 people, mostly
civilians, have been killed, kidnapped or tortured since then.

"Reporting from Aceh has put journalists at risk. But the
restrictions imposed by the military authorities as well as the
lack of protection for journalists have added to the problems
they face," Atmakusumah said.

"If journalists are in danger while doing their job, I can
only hope that rights activists, including the National
Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), will be able to control
what's going on there," he added.

A similar protest was also voiced by the Indonesian
Journalists Alliance (AJI).

AJI urged the security authorities to investigate the death of
Jamaluddin considering that Jamaluddin as well as his fellow
journalists had been the targets of violence in Aceh.

In a letter addressed to President Megawati Soekarnoputri, a
copy of which was made available to the Post on Friday, the AJI
also disclosed cases that showed how journalists have been
intimidated and prevented from doing their work.

Such restrictions include an obligation for news seekers to
disclose sources to the military despite the journalist's code of
ethics, which requires a journalist to protect his sources.
Journalists are also required to make documents obtained in the
province available to the military

Earlier, Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Endriartono
Sutarto said he had ordered the Aceh martial law administrator to
conduct a thorough investigation into the death of Jamaluddin.