Tag: Alliance of Independent Journalists

AI URGENT ACTION JOURNALIST STABBED IN INDONESIA

http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ASA21/004/2011/en/af581980-0b39-4576-bfe7-d7bc77734e0d/asa210042011en.html

DOCUMENT – INDONESIA: JOURNALIST STABBED IN INDONESIA: BANJIR AMBARITA

UA: 53/11 Index: ASA 21/004/2011 Indonesia Date: 03 March 2011

 

URGENT ACTION
JOURNALIST STABBED IN InDONESIA

In the early hours of 3 March, journalist Banjir Ambarita was stabbed in the Indonesian province of Papua. He is currently in intensive care, recovering after an operation. He is at risk of further attacks and intimidation.

Banjir Ambarita is a journalist with Bintang Papua, a local newspaper, based in Jayapura, Papua province. He was stabbed at about 1 am in the morning of 3 March 2011. Banjir Ambarita was on his motorcycle heading home when the attack occurred. Reliable sources told Amnesty International that when he was in front of the Jayapura Mayor’s office, two men on a motorcycle approached him, stabbed him twice in the chest and stomach and sped off. As he began to bleed, Banjir Ambarita rode his motorcycle to the nearby police station. Police officers took him to the Marthen Indey Hospital in Aryoko, Jayapura. He had an operation on 3 March 2011 and is recovering in hospital.

Banjir Ambarita has worked in Papua province for five years and is also a regular contributor to Vivanews and The Jakarta Globe. He had recently written about two alleged rape cases involving the police. In the first case, which occurred in February 2011, four police officers and three civilians allegedly raped and tortured a 15 year old girl in Biak, Papua province. In a second case, three police officers forced a woman detainee to perform oral sex on them over a three-month period from November 2010 to January 2011 at the Jayapura police detention centre in Papua province. The three officers were reportedly only given disciplinary punishments of 21 days’ detention and a delay of their promotions. The media coverage of the second incident led to the resignation of Jayapura Police Chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Imam Setiawan on 1 March 2011, and a report on the incident filed by the woman’s husband to the Papua branch of the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM).

International human rights observers, non-governmental organizations and journalists are severely restricted in their work in Papua amid ongoing reports of serious human rights violations by the police and military.

PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in Indonesian or your own language calling on authorities in Indonesia:
  • To immediately conduct a prompt, independent and impartial investigation into the attack against Banjir Ambarita and bring the perpetrators to justice in accordance with international fair trial standards;
  • To take immediate steps to provide appropriate protection to Banjir Ambarita, according to his wishes;
  • To initiate an independent investigation into the two reported rape cases highlighted by Banjir Ambarita, and ensure that, should the allegations be verified, those responsible be brought to justice in fair trials and victims receive reparations;
  • To ensure that all human rights defenders in Papua, including local journalists, can work freely, independently and with full protection from state authorities.
PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 14 APRIL 2011 TO:
Papua Police Chief
Inspektur Jenderal Bekto Suprapto
Papua Police Chief (Kapolda)
Jl. Samratulangi No. 8 Jayapura,
Papua,
Indonesia
Fax: +62 967 531717
Salutation: Dear Kapolda
Minister of Justice and Human Rights
Mr. Patrialis Akbar
Ministry of Justice and Human Rights
Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said Kav No. 4-5
Kuningan, Jakarta Selatan 12950 Indonesia
Fax: +62 21 525 3095
Salutation: Dear Minister
Chairperson National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM)
Mr. Ifdhal Kasim
Chairperson National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM)
Jl Latuharhary
No.4 Menteng Jakarta Pusat
10310
Indonesia
Fax: +62 21 39 25 227
Salutation: Dear Ifdhal Kasim
COPIES TO: diplomatic representatives of Indonesia accredited to your country. Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.

URGENT ACTION

JOURNALIST STABBED IN INDONESIA

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

In recent years, there have been a number of cases of intimidation and attacks against human rights defenders and journalists in Indonesia.

In July 2010, Tama Satrya Langkun, a Jakarta based anti-corruption activist, was severely beaten by unknown persons in an apparent move to silence him. That same month, Ardiansyah Matra, a journalist covering corruption and illegal logging in Papua, was found dead in the province. Despite police investigations, no one has yet been held accountable for these attacks.

Amnesty International has documented how victims and witnesses in Papua have little available legal remedies to make complaints about human rights violations. In a report published in June 2009, Amnesty International highlighted weaknesses in internal and external accountability mechanisms to deal with police abuse. To date, these mechanisms have yet to be reviewed.

Please refer to the following documents for more information:

Digest: Amnesty International Papua Digest, January 2011
Document: Open letter on unchecked police abuse in Nabire district, Papua, (Index ASA 21/024/2009), 30 November 2009.
Report: Unfinished business: Police accountability in Indonesia, (Index ASA 21/013/2009), 24 June 2009.
Report: Amnesty International’s briefing to the UN Committee Against Torture, (Index ASA 21/003/2008), 15 April 2008.

UA: 53/11 Index: ASA 21/004/2011 Issue Date: 3 March 2011
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AJI has urged press to monitor rights violations in Papua

JUBI, 11 February 2011
The chairman of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) in
Jayapura, Victor Mambor, has called on the press in Papua to regularly
monitor cases of human rights violations in Papua.

‘Reports written in the media about these violations are helpful to
organisations that fight for the rights of the victims of violations,’
he said, during a speech at a workshop on the Papuan perspective
regarding human rights violations.

He stressed the importance of the role of the press in reporting the
human rights situation in Papua because this can help reduce acts of
repression against the civilian population.

‘Reports about human rights in Papua are only available from NGOs active
in the field, and these are frequently quoted in reports that appear in
the media,’ said Mambor. He also stressed the importance in ensuring
that these published reports are accurate and credible. It was also
important, he said, for journalists to provide the appropriate
references so as to make it easier for others to investigate the
violations that occur.

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1

AJI to continue investigating the murder of Ardiansyah

Bintang Papua, 31 August 2010

AJI to continue investigating the murder of Ardiansyah

Following the investigations which were undertaken by the Jayapura branch of AJI (Aliansi Jurnalis Indonesia) into the death of the journalist Ardiansyah Matra’is, the national AJI is planning to undertake a more thorough investigation into the case.

A member of the central board of AJI, Eko Matyadi, who is responsible for advocacy, said he would be flying to Merauke the following day. Besides trying to discover more data about the death, he will seek to verify the earlier results of AJI’s investigations that the journalist’s death was not due to natural causes.

‘Although no autopsy is available yet from the police, our findings are that he did not die of natural courses; There were signs of injuries on his body that were the result of violence. This is what we what to confirm.’

He said that his organisation was coordinating with the police about their trip to Merauke.

He stressed that the state must accept responsibility for investigating the death of a journalist because journalists are citizens just like other citizens. ‘Jouranlists are human beings with the same rights to life and for the safeguard of their personal security,’ he said.

Meanwhile, Victor Mambor, the chairman of AJI in Jayapura, said that AJI will continue to insist on the four demands made recently to the police in Papua, calling on them to be more serious in their investigations of the death of Ardinasyah. Victor also expressed regret that a statement by PWI on behalf of Papuan journalists had apologised to the police for the peaceful action by Journalists Solidarity on 23 August.’While there is no issue between AJI as an institution and the PWI, for me personally there is still an issue to be resolved.’

He said that the demonstration to the Papuan police was well within the constitutional rights of all citizens of the state, there had been no violation of the law, while actions undertaken by journalists in solidarity with their professional colleagues were entitled to the protection of the law.’

——————————-

Another Journalist attacked by Indonesian intels in Papua

http://www.newssafety.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=19470:radio-contributor-attacked-in-indonesias-papua&catid=134:asia-pacific-media-safety&Itemid=100525

Radio contributor attacked in Indonesia’s Papua

Source : BBC Monitoring 31.08.2010

On 24 August 2010 Musa Kondorura, a contributor to Kantor Berita Radio (KBR) 68H in Wasior Sub-district, Teluk Wondama District, West Papua Province, was attacked by two men, Luki and Hendra, who claimed to be members of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN).

Kondorura reported the incident to the local military sub-district commander. Along with the Teluk Wondama regional secretary, the commander organized a meeting between Kondorura and his two attackers, however the pair did not attend, saying that they had already reported the incident to the district head.

The motive behind the attack is not yet known.

——————————

News from Papua: Journalists will boycott police for failing to investigate Ardiansyah's murder; Restrictions on alcohol to combat spread of HIV; Women traders promised their own market

Bintang Papua, 23 August 2010
Abridged in translation

Ardiansyah murder repercussions

Journalists to boycott police news

About one hundred print and electronic journalists, following a
demonstration in Jayapura, announced their decision to boycott all news
from the police as from 23 August for failing to reveal the perpetrator
of the murder of Metro TV journalist, Ardiansyah Matra’is whose body was
found on 28 July floating in the Maro River.

They also called for the chief of police in Papua to be dismissed for
his failure to thoroughly investigate the journalist’s murder.

Victor Mambor, the chairman of the journalists organisation AJI, said
they had waited for hours to meet the police chief but he never appeared.

According to the results of an autopsy by the police, there were many
swellings on the journalist’s body, several teeth were missing and his
neck showed signs of his having been strangled. At the time of the
tragic incident, other journalists had been receiving terror threats by
SMS. [Other reports suggest that Ardiansyah was still alive when he was
thrown into the river where he drowned.]

During the demonstration, the journalists carried banners calling for
an end to the terror. A journalist from Tempo said it was up to the
police to investigate the case.

‘Today, our colleague is murdered. Tomorrow it could be one of us,’ he
said.

Cenderawasih reporter Ronald Manurung said: ‘We are partners of the
police. Every day we report about police activities in safeguarding
security in Papua, but the chief of police doesn’t show any interest in
the sufferings of our colleague and his grieving family.’

At this point, a police official appeared and said the demonstrators
should delegate someone to meet the chief of police but this was rejected.

Then another journalist, Cunding Levi read a joint statement setting a
deadline for the police to show results in their investigation to
discover the perpetrator of Ardiansyah’s murder. The statement will be
sent to the president and other ministers as well as the National Human
Rights Commission, whose deputy chairman Matius Murib was present. He
invited those present to bow their heads in tribute to their murdered
colleague. All sections of the community in Papua should pay close
attention to the human rights cases in Papua, he said. Thereafter, the
journalist dispersed in an orderly fashion

—————————–

Bintang Papua, 23 August 2010

Alcoholic drinks and the increase in HIV in Papua
With the number of HIV/AIDS sufferers in Papua continuing to increase,
the Papuan provincial government has announced its intention to restrict
or to stop the sale of alcoholic drinks throughout the province of
Papua. The number of sufferers in Papua reportedly reached a total of
more than 5,000 in 2009.

Provincial governor Barnabas Suebu said that during a two-month tour of
many kampungs, many people had urged the government to pay more
attention to this problem. ‘So we have now drafted a regulation to end
the sale of alcohol which will soon be submitted to the DPRP.’

The governor said that the alarming rise in the number of HIV sufferers
was a warning to Papuans that this sickness must be brought under control..

—————————

Bintang Papua, 23 August 2010
Special market for women traders to be built

The Papuan provincial government has said that it is still committed to
the plan to build a special market for women traders. A spokesman said
that a location had been chosen and once the legalities of the
conversion of the land ere completed, construction would begin.

The spokesman Jansen Monim said this was an example of the governor’s
determination to listen to the wishes of the people.

For the past nine years, Papuan women traders have been pressing for a
special market but as yet, their demands have not been realised and they
have been pushed from one location to another, having to do their
business under the open sky and sitting on the bare ground. During th
course of their struggle, some of the women have died.

One location that was offered to the women was rejected because, they
said, it was too far away from people coming to buy things. After
submitting their demands to the governor, he has now promised that the
special market for women traders will be built in 2010. The governor
also promised to provide other facilities for the women traders. There
are also plans to provide the women with special training for marketing
management and to supply four trucks along with fuel to help transport
their goods.

It was also said that the governor’s commitment applies not only to
Jayaura but to the whole of Papua.

[Comment: The reference throughout this item was only to Papua, meaning
that this pledge does not apply to the province of West Papua. ]

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