Ironically, with the annual World Press Freedom Day being observed on Monday many commentors also warn about the increased dangers for journalists covering the conflict.
Setara Institute for Peace and Democracy chairperson Hendardi (Indonesians often have a single name) has criticised the government’s move against “armed criminal groups” in Papua, or “KKB)”, as the Free Papua Movement (OPM) armed wing is described by military authorities.
The move to designate them as terrorists is seen as a short-cut and an expression of the government’s “desperation” in dealing with the Papuan struggle for independence.
“The labeling of resistance groups in Papua will not break the long and recurring cycle of violence”, Hendardi said, according to a report in
IFJ 28 April 2021
International Memorial Workers Day: Remember the dead, fight for the living
The Covid-19 pandemic has had a brutal impact on the health of all workers around the world, especially those frontline workers most exposed to the virus, including journalists. On International Workers Memorial Day, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) pays tribute to all media workers who have died from the virus and praises the enormous work of its affiliates, who have fought day in, day out to protect the health and safety of journalists all over the world.
Training and safety
When the global pandemic broke out, many media workers were forced to continue reporting from the front line with little or no information about the virus, proper training or equipment. Overnight, hundreds of thousands of journalists were risking their lives to continue informing people about the virus in a moment when, paradoxically, access to accurate and quality information was saving lives.
“I believe West Papua has been a UN Trust Territory since 1962 when the
General Assembly authorised [the] United Nations and Indonesia’s administration of West Papua,” he tried to say in his short declaration.
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“I believe there is a moral and legal obligation for news of the authorisation, General Assembly resolution 1752 (XVII), to be placed on the agenda of the United Nations Trusteeship Council so that the Council can then ask the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for its advisory opinion on the proper status of West Papua in relation to the Charter of the United Nations.
Health Office confirms inoculation of 138 journalists in Kupang antaranews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from antaranews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
As Indonesia banned extremists’ content, journalists feared a threat to press freedom
Experts say the measure may backfire and alert against preventing journalists from reporting on hardliners, Raksha Kumar reports
Members of the Indonesian Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) protest against the detention of its leader Rizieq Shihab in December 2020. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan
Raksha Kumar
Wednesday 10 March 2021
The Indonesian authorities began 2021 with a rather unique clarification. The government did not intend to muzzle media freedoms, they said, when they ordered a strict ban of content from an extremist organisation.
This statement referred to a decree issued by the national police chief prohibiting Indonesians from accessing, uploading, and distributing any content produced by the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), an extremist organisation. Several journalists associations, including the Jakarta-based Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), issued statements criticising