SOE Regulator Urges Enhanced Protection for Journalists

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The State-Owned Enterprise Regulatory Agency (BP BUMN) has urged Perum LKBN ANTARA to increase attention and protection for journalists, noting that news reporting is the core business of ANTARA.

“I am requesting, of course, for ANTARA, as one of our SOEs, to please continue to increase attention to these journalists. Journalists are the lifeblood of ANTARA; that is ANTARA’s business,” said the Deputy Head of the SOE Regulatory Agency, Tedi Bharata, during an event titled “Handover of Compassionate Aid to the Families of Mount Anak Krakatau Eruption Victims” held at the BP BUMN Building in Jakarta on Thursday.

Tedi stated that the loss of contact with a group of journalists in the Sunda Strait waters while covering the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau on Monday (7/9) serves as a reminder of the high risks inherent in journalistic work.

He added that to produce the articles read by the public, the photojournalism witnessed by the masses, and other journalistic content, journalists struggle through difficult circumstances and significant sacrifices.

“The articles we read, the journalist photos we see, which we sometimes just swipe through, are actually not easy to produce. There is sacrifice, there is travel, and there is risk, which serves as a reminder that what journalists do is not easy,” said Tedi.

Tedi views journalists as partners to SOEs. He noted that the media plays a crucial role in delivering accurate news and informing the public about the SOE transformation currently being undertaken by BP BUMN alongside Danantara.

“This transformation programme cannot run effectively without the role of our journalist friends who report it. Moving forward, we hope the relationship between SOEs, the wider SOE family, and journalists will become even closer,” Tedi added.

Separately, the Deputy for Development Facilitation and Synergy at BP BUMN, Hambra, stated that SOEs already have standards regarding the welfare and protection of journalists, specifically referring to Perum LKBN ANTARA as an SOE operating in the news sector.

“This will be a priority; it will be a priority. Incidents like this show that the risks faced by reporters covering high-risk news must receive better protection,” said Hambra.

A total of eight people aboard the speedboat KM Arupadatu I were reported missing on Monday (7/9) afternoon at 14:00 WIB. The group consisted of five journalists—M Bagus Khoirunnas (ANTARA News), Ari Basuki (Merdeka.com), Yudhistiro (iNews), Firdaus (Anadolu), and Donal (freelance)—along with three others: Warta (ship captain), Surakman (crew member), and Heriyanto (guide).

On Saturday (12/9), Basarnas Bengkulu received a report regarding the discovery of an unidentified body in the Sawang Bengkok coastal area, Khayapu Village, Enggano Island, North Bengkulu Regency, Bengkulu Province. Subsequently, on Wednesday (23/9), the Banten Regional Police revealed that DNA matching between antemortem samples and the body found on Enggano Island, Bengkulu, was identical to the identity of Surakman (60).