A statement issued by Pantau Foundation and Southeast Asian Press
Alliance (SEAPA)
Jakarta (23 October 2012):- Police today attacked a journalist
covering a rally organised by the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) in
Manokwari in West Papua. Oktovianus Pogau, a reporter with Suara Papua and a
contributor to the Yayasan Pantau, was beaten by five policemen while trying to
take pictures of police use of excessive violence against the KNPB
demonstrators in front of the State University of Papua, Manokwari. Pogau had
displayed his press card, but some police did not stop the beating. He
sustained injuries to his face.
The security forces had attempted to stop the rally but the KNPB
activists went on with the demonstrations.
In Jayapura, police dispersed thousands of demonstrators using the
water cannon and tear gas. In Manokwari, five people were reportedly shot but
it is still not clear their conditions.
SEAPA's executive director Gayathry Venkiteswaran said: "We
deplore the aggression used against the demonstrators and especially
journalists, who are on duty. Papua has been a particularly difficult and
dangerous place for the media and
such kinds of abuse will further deny the rights of the people to news
and information."
She said SEAPA raised concerns about the violence against journalists
in Papua and the restrictions placed on foreign journalists in its submission
to the Human Rights Council on the occasion of Indonesia's Universal Periodic
Review.
"The threats of impunity, of not bringing perpetrators of
violence against media personnel to justice, is problem that has pushed backs Indonesia's gains in media
freedom in the last decade or so," she added.
In 2011, two journalists were killed in Papua, eight were kidnapped
and 18 attacked. Foreign journalists are required to apply for special permits
to enter and cover stories in Papua since Indonesia took over the
administration of West Papua in 1963. Only three news organizations, including
BBC, obtained the permits last year.
Pantau Foundation and the Southeast Asian Press Alliance condemn the
attacks against the media, especially in Papua where activists, human rights
defenders and journalists are frequently targeted for their work. Since
October, two veteran human rights defenders, respectively from Wamena and
Jayapura, have moved out of Papua due to serious threats against them.
We call on the police to:
1. Respect the rights of citizens to freedom of expression;
2. Ensure the safety of Oktovianus Pugao;
3. Stop all forms of violence against journalists;
4. Arrest and prosecute the perpetrators of violence.
We also call on the Indonesian government to:
1. Open up Papua to international journalists and human rights
monitors; and
2. Guarantee the rights of all journalists working in West Papua
to ensure they can work free of violence, hindrance or intimidation from any
members of the security forces
For Pantau Foundation: Imam Shofwan, Chairman
For SEAPA: Gayathry Venkiteswaran, Executive Director
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