Indonesia

The blasphemy law has been used to prosecute and imprison members of religious minorities and of traditional religions.

A contributor for a local TV channel was physically attacked and intimidated by Army soldiers after recording an accident in East Java province.

Three local journalists were covering a protest in Medan over the blocking of access to disputed land by the Indonesian Air Force when violence broke out between residents and Air Force personnel.

SEAPA believes that the best way to protect press freedom in Indonesia is to use the provisions of the Press Law to address such incidents against the media.

IPI urged Indonesia to ensure the safety of journalists after a reporter covering demonstrations related to the country’s 1965 anti-communist massacre was threatened with violence and forced into hiding.

SEAPA strongly condemns police authorities in Yogyakarta, Indonesia for forcing the cancellation of an event by the local chapter of AJI on 3 May 2016.

Since January, numerous government officials have demeaned and threatened Indonesia’s LGBT population. President Joko Widodo, who secured his election victory on a platform of promoting economic development and human rights, has yet to publicly speak out against discriminatory statements.

“Indonesia’s move to deny France 24 reporter Cyril Payen a journalistic visa smacks of retaliation for his critical reporting,” said CPJ. “President Widodo should make good on his previous pledge to improve access to Indonesia for foreign journalists by reversing this arbitrary and ill-conceived decision.”

The International Partnership Mission to Indonesia travelled to the country to meet with journalists, government and civil society representatives to review the media environment one year on since its first visit in December 2014. Significantly, it also conducted a fact-finding visit to Papua.

Recent attempts to suppress discussion on the 1965 atrocities show that the topic is still a sensitive one in Indonesia; at the same time, the voices clamouring for a renewed understanding of the country’s national history are growing stronger.

British filmmakers Neil Bonner and Rebecca Prosser were sentenced to two and a half month in prison in Indonesia. The conviction represents a failure of the government to reverse its long-standing anti-media policies.

The IFJ and MEAA commemorated the 40th anniversary of the killing of the Balibo Five, with the establishment of a scholarship to develop journalism skills in East Timor. The five young Australian journalists were killed in East Timor by Indonesian military troops after witnessing an incursion by Indonesian soldiers.

IFJ and AJI condemn the arrest and prosecution of two British journalists in north-western Indonesia; they demand all charges be immediately dropped and the two journalists be allowed to leave Indonesia and return home.

The International Partnership Mission for Indonesia and AJI have called for a thorough investigation into the 1996 murder of Indonesian journalist Udin. Evidence suggests the murder was in retaliation for his reporting into alleged corruption and election rigging.

SEAPA views that the new procedure is a form of over-regulation that establishes double-standards against visiting foreign journalists. It believes that these regulations are unnecessary, and may be used to control the news collected by foreign media agencies.

The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) has asked President Jokowi not to take Indonesia back to the [Soeharto] New Order era, which was marked by restraints on free speech and the press.