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Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has condemned Indonesia’s double-dealing as it hosts the 24th World Press Freedom Day celebrations in Jakarta with UNESCO while continuing to harass independent journalists in West Papua, the Indonesian half of the island of New Guinea.
Syed Vendaa photographer for a local news website JubiYesterday, on the eve of World Press Freedom Day, Wenda was arrested and beaten by police while covering a peaceful demonstration in Sentani, a suburb of Jayapura, West Papua’s largest city. After being detained for four hours, Wenda told Bernal News The website states that the police began usingHand, Gun and Cane” without giving him the opportunity to show them his media accreditation letter. Jayapura police chief Gustave Urbinas acknowledged that Unda was arrested but denied that the officers had beaten him. Despite this, Unda took pictures of his injuries and posted them online as evidence of police brutality.
“We strongly condemn the police violence against Jans Winda and call for an investigation to bring the perpetrators and their superiors who supported their brutality to justice.” said Benjamin Ismaïl, head of Reporters Without Borders’ Asia-Pacific department.Indonesia ranks third from the bottom in the 2017 World Press Index and the attack is the latest in a series of assaults on media freedom in West Papua in recent months, further proving that Indonesia is unworthy of hosting World Press Freedom Day celebrations”
Ismaïl added:UNESCO and all politicians gathered in Jakarta must condemn the violence and demand that President Joko Widodo stop playing the double game of promoting media freedom to the international community while continuing his crackdown in West Papua.”
Indonesia ranks 124th out of 180 countries World Press Freedom Index 2017 An article published by RSF on April 26. It is not uncommon for local and foreign journalists to receive anonymous threats or be threatened by the authorities and forced to self-censor. Last week, West Papua police arrested a TV reporter Richardo HutahaanHutahaian, who heads the Papua Television Journalists Association, and two colleagues also received death threats after covering a court hearing in a dispute between local politicians.
As the state of press freedom in West Papua is worrying, journalists are harassed and foreign journalists are often denied press visas, human rights groups plan to protest at an event organized by UNESCO and the Indonesian government to urge the international community to respond. Reporters Without Borders organized an event for the Press Legal Assistance Center, which expressed support for the organization. Public discussion on media freedom in West Papua April 2nd.
Foreign media are generally banned from working in West Papua, and even when they are allowed to do so, they are closely monitored. French journalist Frank Escudi and Basil Longchamp Deported on March 17 After arriving in West Papua to shoot a documentary.
Another French journalist, Cyril Payen, Denied return to Indonesia In 2016, France 24 broadcast a documentary he shot about West Papua, titled The Forgotten War in Papua. Nevertheless, he had obtained all the necessary authorizations before traveling to West Papua in 2015 to shoot the documentary.
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