East Timor

(CPJ/IFEX) – An Indonesian journalist was among the group of nine people massacred by Indonesia troops in East Timor on Saturday 25 September 1999, according to wire service reports. Agus Muliawan, 26, was affiliated with the Tokyo-based news organization Asia Press International. He had been in East Timor for more than two months, working on […]

(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 […]

(RSF/IFEX) – The following is an RSF press release: **Updates IFEX alerts of 22 September and 21 September 1999** For immediate release: Wednesday 22 September 1999 Press Release Journalist assassinated in East Timor – Reporters sans frontières is accusing the Indonesian army and asking that General Wiranto order an immediate end to the violence Reporters […]

(IFJ/IFEX) – The following is an IFJ press release, followed by an IFJ letter addressed to President BJ Habibe and General Wiranto, expressing outrage at the reported Indonesian military involvement in the death of a journalist in East Timor: Media Release Journalists outraged at colleague’s death in Timor The International Federation of Journalists has expressed […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – British journalist Jon Swain and American photographer Chip Hires, who had been hiding in the hills near Dili after their car was attacked by militia on the morning of 21 September 1999, have been rescued by Australian troops, according to the BBC quoting Brigadier David Richards, the British Forces Commander in East Timor. […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – CPJ has learned that Indonesian military authorities flew American journalist Allan Nairn out of East Timor on a military jet on 15 September 1999, having detained him for more than twenty-four hours in the capital city of Dili. He was taken to Kupang, West Timor. **Updates IFEX alert of 14 September 1999** Nairn […]

(RSF/IFEX) – In a 14 September 1999 letter to the defence minister, General Wiranto, RSF protested the detention of and order to expel Allan Nairn, an American freelance journalist and human rights activist. RSF called on the minister to reconsider his decision and noted “that expelling him from the country is too severe and is […]

(RSF/IFEX) – The following is a 9 September 1999 RSF letter to United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan calling for UN action on East Timor: Open letter to Mr. Kofi Annan, United Nations secretary-general: “You must demand that journalists be allowed to stay in East Timor” The situation in East Timor is dramatic: several hundred victims […]

(AJI/IFEX) – On Wednesday 8 September 1999, crew of Surya Citra Televisi (SCTV), an Indonesian private TV station, were intimidated by an intelligence agent carrying a large knife. The agent was thought to be a journalist for Antara, the Indonesian official news agency. But just as Gunawan, the SCTV cameraman, and his executive editor, Albert […]

(AJI/IFEX) – The following is a 9 September 1999 AJI statement: AJI URGES REVOCATION OF MARTIAL LAW IN EAST TIMOR The imposition of martial law in East Timor, in place since 7 September, is unacceptable, whatever the reason. President Habibie’s logic in imposing martial law, at first glance, does make sense. The situation is grave, […]

(AJI/IFEX) – Tri Agus Siswowihardjo, one of the four missing journalists in East Timor, was found safe. On 10 September 1999, AJI had contact with him by his portable phone. He is now in hiding somewhere in East Timor. However, considering that the situation is very unpredictable, given the fact that on the one hand […]

(IFJ/IFEX) – The following is an IFJ press release: Media Release September 10 1999 IFJ Plea Over Four Missing Journalists As Media Pull Out of East Timor The International Federation of Journalists, the world’s largest organisation of journalists, has appealed for information on the fate of journalists reported missing in the chaos and violence of […]

(AJI/IFEX) – Following the imposition of martial law in East Timor, some Indonesians, including journalists, have been reported missing. They are people who decided not to leave East Timor when the worsening situation followed the announcement of the ballot results. Missing are: 1. Peter Rohe, a journalist with the Jakarta based “Suara Bangsa” daily. He […]

(IFJ/IFEX) – The following is a 7 September 1999 IFJ letter to United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan calling for intervention by an international peace-keeping body in defence of peace and democracy in East Timor: Kofi Annan Secretary General The United Nations UN Plaza, New York, New York September 7th 1999 Dear Secretary General, International Action […]

(PINA/IFEX) – On 3 September 1999 (local date), Australian newspapers reported that news organisations were joining the evacuation from East Timor as journalists continued to be the targets of pro-Indonesian militia groups. “The Australian” newspaper reported that on 2 September: “About midday, members of the Dili-based Aitarak militia, armed with pistols, stormed into one of […]

(IPI/IFEX) – IPI has expressed its concern for the safety of journalists reporting on events in East Timor. In the latest violence, pro-Indonesian militiamen armed with automatic weapons and machetes attacked a neighbourhood in Dili on Wednesday, 1 September 1999, sending hundreds of residents – along with three dozen foreign journalists – scrambling for safety […]