Reporters urged to discard military uniforms
Reporters urged to discard military uniforms
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) has urged
reporters embedded with the Indonesian Military (TNI) in Aceh to
avoid wearing military uniforms, warning that the separatists may
target the reporters in any gunfight.
AJI called on journalists to wear civilian clothes with a
label clearly reading "press" to avoid being shot at by Free Aceh
Movement (GAM) soldiers.
"By wearing the uniform of the TNI, GAM will identify
journalists as part of the TNI and will not protect them but
instead make them a shooting target," the association said in a
statement on Saturday.
AJI's warning came after 54 reporters from some of Indonesia's
leading media organizations underwent four days of military
training with the Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) in
Kerawang, West Java.
During the training reporters must wear Army fatigues,
consisting of trousers, a jacket, a shirt, a pair of boots and
socks, a belt and a hat.
The reporters were trained on, among other things, how to
react under fire, how to move within a military patrol,
distinguish enemy fire from friendly fire, first aid and basic
survival techniques in the forest.
More are expected to join the training.
Only reporters who have passed the training will be allowed to
cover the war using TNI facilities and join their military
operations. The TNI has also prepared an armed personnel carrier
for transporting reporters for interviews in hotspots.
But there is apprehension among GAM, which fears the reporters
may have been indoctrinated by the TNI.
AJI warned that GAM could consider such reporters as siding
with the TNI. Reporters embedded with the TNI "would be viewed as
not adhering to the principles of independent journalism," AJI
said, quoting GAM's deputy military spokesman Teungku Isnandar Al
Pase.
AJI said its members in Aceh reported that GAM had obtained
the names of the 54 trained reporters. They said that the rebels
were already suspicious of any reporter entering the province.
TNI spokesman Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said that embedded
reporters were free to wear civilian clothes. However, he echoed
GAM's warning, saying the TNI could not be held responsible for
attacks against reporters if they failed to camouflage themselves
during a military operation.
Sjafrie said that reporters must sign a statement declaring
that they choose to wear civilian clothes over Army fatigues.
A number of TNI officers also warned that GAM considered any
person traveling with soldiers as an enemy and thus a legitimate
target.
Asked about the safety of reporters covering the war from
GAM's side, Sjafrie answered by questioning the integrity of such
reporters. "What are they (reporters) doing over there," he
asked.