Impunity prevails: Australia's federal police fail the Balibo Five
The Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA) condemns the decision of the Australian Federal Police (AFP) to abandon the investigation into the murder of five Australian journalists in East Timor.
View ArticleFrench journalists held in Indonesia to be freed
After being sentenced to two and a half months in prison by a court in Jayapura, Papua's capital, Thomas Dandois and Valentine Bourrat are to be released next week.
View ArticleMedia groups call on Indonesian president to tackle country's impunity record
"President Joko Widodo and his government must make it clear that the murders of journalists do not go unpunished. Journalists killed without justice foster a culture of fear and impunity and obstruct...
View ArticleIndonesia urged to investigate deadly shooting of peaceful protesters in Papua
Police and military personnel fired live ammunition at about 800 peaceful demonstrators, including women and children, in Papua. Six people were killed, and at least 17 others wounded.
View ArticleMission Journal: Window of opportunity to advance press freedom in Indonesia
Problems continue for Indonesia's journalists, despite significant progress made since the end of Suharto's authoritarian 32-year rule in 1998.
View ArticleIndonesia, U.S. urged to declassify, make public documents on 1965-66 mass...
"If the US Senate can issue a detailed report on US government responsibility for CIA torture nearly a decade ago, surely the Indonesian parliament can do the same for one of the 20th century's worst...
View ArticlePress freedom, free expression still under threat in Indonesia, says...
Criminalisation of online speech, a climate of impunity for attacks against journalists, the concentration of media ownership and the politicisation of media outlets are all current areas of concern.
View ArticleJournalist organisations condemn police intervention in "Jakarta Post"...
The chief editor of the "Jakarta Post" has been named as a suspect in a blasphemy case. AJI and the IFJ have said the case has already been legitimately handled by the Indonesian Press Council and any...
View ArticleWill new government in Indonesia bring about surveillance reforms?
Too often Indonesians have witnessed their government purchasing and using surveillance technology without making the changes necessary to operate them in accordance with the law. Now is an opportunity...
View ArticleMedia restrictions in Papua underscore Indonesia's wider problems
With more than 50 years of restricted media access, one of the least covered armed conflicts in the world is the long-simmering struggle between Indonesia's military and the secessionist Free Papua...
View ArticleIndonesia: Global day of action calls for free and open access to Papua
NGOs, parliamentarians and solidarity groups all around the world are telling Indonesia that human rights abuses in Papua can no longer be ignored. Papuan voices must be heard. In this age of...
View ArticleOpen access for foreign journalists in Papua? Cautious welcome for Indonesian...
AJI welcomes President Joko Widodo's statement that he would open wide the gates for foreign journalists to carry out their journalistic duties in Papua. AJI will closely monitor the implementation of...
View ArticleEasing journalist restrictions on Papua must be backed with policy changes
The International Partnership Mission to Indonesia encourages President Widodo to ensure that journalists are free to operate in all parts of the country, and to protect the safety of both foreign and...
View ArticleDefamation cases quashing press freedom in Indonesia
The IFJ and AJI express concern for the impact criminal defamation charges have against freedom of expression and call on the Indonesia government to ensure such charges do not become a tool to silence...
View ArticleIncreased risks for filmmakers and sources in documentaries' Golden Age
As they take on investigative reporting functions, documentary filmmakers should adopt the model of the press freedom community to protect themselves and their sources from threats both old and new.
View ArticleThree signs President Jokowi wants to shackle free expression
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.
View ArticleIndonesia urged to revoke new regulations on visiting foreign journalists
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...
View ArticleIndonesia: Official inaction perpetuates impunity in 1996 murder case
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...
View ArticleTwo British journalists, their Indonesian crew face charges for making...
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...
View ArticleAustralian journalists remembered 40 years after their murder in East Timor
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...
View ArticleTwo British journalists convicted in Indonesia over visa violations
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...
View ArticleThe 50th anniversary of the massacre Indonesians aren't supposed to talk about
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...
View ArticleInternational delegation calls on president to address media freedom concerns
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...
View ArticleIndonesia denies media visa for France 24 reporter
"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...
View ArticleWhat's behind the Indonesian president's troubling silence on LGBT persecution?
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...
View ArticlePolice in Yogyakarta shut down World Press Freedom Day event
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.
View ArticleIndonesian reporter in hiding after harassment campaign
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.
View ArticleIndonesia urged to use Press Law to investigate journalist's intimidation
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.
View ArticleIndonesian Air Force involved in alleged assault on journalists
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.
View ArticleArmy members attack TV contributor in East Java, Indonesia
A contributor for a local TV channel was physically attacked and intimidated by Army soldiers after recording an accident in East Java province.
View ArticleIndonesia's abusive blasphemy law under fresh scrutiny
The blasphemy law has been used to prosecute and imprison members of religious minorities and of traditional religions.
View ArticleIndonesia urged to address press freedom violations in West Papua
Just five months before Indonesia is set to host UNESCO's 2017 celebration of World Press Freedom Day, its government still has not met a regional human rights watchdog's demands to address press...
View ArticleTransgender people detained for violating "religious values" in Indonesia
Indonesian police are once again helping carry out the anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) agenda of militant Islamists.
View ArticleIndonesia urged to fulfil promises as deadline looms on Papua press blocks
Indonesia has less than three months to deliver "full and free" press access to Papua provinces, says PFF, warning that
View ArticleIndonesia steamrolls media freedom in Papua, again
Indonesian police detained and then deported two reporters, who were filming a documentary for Indonesia's Garuda Airlines in Papua, for lacking "necessary documents from related institutions," without...
View ArticleIndonesia sends Jakarta governor to prison for blasphemy
Ahok, the former Jakarta governor and a Christian, was charged in November 2016, for violating the blasphemy law in connection with a reference he made to a Quranic verse in September.
View ArticlePapua remains restricted under Widodo; 72 cases of violence against journalists
Two recent cases of violence against journalists in Papua highlight the empty promise of Press Law protections in Indonesia's easternmost province, as well as the false hopes of President Joko Widodo,...
View ArticleIn Indonesia, netizens face intimidation from the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI)
Members of the Islamic Defenders Front visited the personal residences of media users accused of publishing derogatory posts against Rizieq Shihab, the organisation's grand mufti, and forced them to...
View ArticleJournalist Dandhy Dwi Laksono charged with online defamation for Facebook post
Dandhy Dwi Laksono was reported for a post that compared former Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri with Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi on their handling of the Papua and Rohingya issues.
View ArticleIndonesia's Attorney General rejects LGBT discrimination
Indonesia's Attorney General's Office rescinded a job notice that barred lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons from applying.
View ArticleIndonesian police raid 'gay party'
This is at least the fifth raid targeting LGBT people in private spaces in 2017.
View ArticleIndonesian police go after social media users for mocking House Speaker
The Indonesian police briefly detained an internet user for spreading memes that mocked House of Representatives Speaker Setya Novanto.
View ArticleIndonesia told to respect media freedom in Papua after expelling BBC reporter...
The Indonesian military expelled BBC journalist Rebecca Henschke from Papua for "hurting soldiers' feelings" with her social media reports.
View ArticleIndonesia's parliament bans critical coverage of its members
A new law criminalizes criticism and 'disrespect' of the country's parliament and its members.
View ArticlePrevalence of violence and threat of downsizing undermine Indonesian media
Aliansi Jurnalis Independen documents violent attacks and threats of layoffs plaguing Indonesian media in the past year.
View ArticleIndonesia's new counterterrorism law imperils rights
Indonesia is urged to amend the law to uphold rights while meeting security concerns.
View ArticleIndonesian president grants remission to a journalist's murderer
AJI said the president's decision to reduce Susrama's sentence has obstructed justice. In 2010, he had been found guilty of being the mastermind behind the killing of journalist Prabangsa.
View ArticleHope, courage, and resilience: Women journalists in Indonesia tell their stories
A new book features 50 stories penned by Indonesian women journalists.
View ArticleIndonesia’s Music Bill could restrict artistic freedom
Index on Censorship urges that proposed legislation that would restrict artistic freedom be discarded.
View ArticleIndonesia: Prison for WhatsApp messages
Saidah Saleh Syamlan was sentenced to 10 months in jail in Indonesia for allegedly sending defamatory WhatsApp messages.
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