(CPJ/IFEX) – CPJ is strongly condemning the 21 September 1999 brutal murder of Sander Thoenes, a Dutch freelance journalist on assignment in Dili, East Timor. **Updates IFEX alerts of 22 September and 21 September 1999** Thoenes, a Jakarta-based stringer for “The Financial Times”, “The Christian Science Monitor” and “Vrij Nederland”, was riding on a motorcycle […]
(CPJ/IFEX) – CPJ is strongly condemning the 21 September 1999 brutal murder
of Sander Thoenes, a Dutch freelance journalist on assignment in Dili, East
Timor.
**Updates IFEX alerts of 22 September and 21 September 1999**
Thoenes, a Jakarta-based stringer for “The Financial Times”, “The Christian
Science
Monitor” and “Vrij Nederland”, was riding on a motorcycle taxi in the Dili
suburb of Becora when he was shot at a roadblock by gunmen who were
reportedly wearing
Indonesian military uniforms. Australian troops, part of the United Nations
(UN)-approved peacekeeping force that began entering East Timor this week,
recovered Thoenes’ mutilated body on the morning of 22 September.
Even as UN peacekeeping forces arrive in East Timor, working conditions for
journalists covering the conflict have grown increasingly dangerous. In a
second attack against foreign journalists on 21 September, Jon Swain, a
reporter with “The Sunday Times” of London, and Chip Hires of the
Paris-based Gamma photo agency were traveling with a Timorese driver and a
Timorese translator when militia gunmen ambushed their car in the eastern
town of Baucau.
The gunmen pulled the two Timorese from the car and attacked them; their
fate is unknown at this time. Meanwhile, both journalists fled into nearby
bushes, where they were able to use a cellular phone to contact an editor at
the “Sunday Times” in London. They were later rescued by Australian
peacekeeping troops.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to the president:
paramilitary groups responsible for these attacks may indicate support for
their crimes
arming the many pro-government militias now active in East Timor, both the
army and the police have shown at least tacit complicity in their failure to
stop the militias from threatening and killing those who disagree with their
views on the province’s political future
where the government of Indonesia still bears responsibility for the
security of all in the province,
including journalists
is not respecting the internationally-recognised right of journalists to
work without fear of violent reprisal, and indeed may be sanctioning attacks
aimed at intimidating or driving journalists out of the province
by guaranteeing the safety of journalists reporting in East Timor during
this volatile period
armed forces, General Wiranto, honors his pledge to ensure that members of
the police and army take decisive action to protect journalists from harm at
the hands of paramilitary groups
Appeals To
His Excellency Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie
President, Republic of Indonesia
Office of the President
Bina Graha, Jalan Veteran No. 17
Jakarta Pusat, Indonesia
Fax: +62 21 778 182
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
