At least seven Indonesian journalists were reportedly attacked during post-election protests this week in Jakarta, prompting calls on authorities to investigate alleged press freedom violations from local and international organizations.
One incident – the video clip of which has gone viral – saw a reporter from local TV station RTV harassed and intimidated by protesters while reporting from Tanah Abang. The culprits can be seen repeatedly screamed "hoax" at the reporter and towards the camera, disrupting her live report.
But that is merely one small example of what went down during the chaos that unfolded on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) says it has documented at least seven attacks on journalists during the post-election riots. The organization added that the toll of injured journalists is likely to increase as it continues to interview media personnel.
In its report, AJI has identified all of the affected journalists so far, including CNN Indonesia reporter Budi Tanjung and his cameraman, identified as Ryan, who had allegedly been beaten over the head by the police despite having clearly presented themselves as journalists.
According to AJI, Budi was then forced to delete the videos he had recorded on his mobile phone while Ryan was forced to delete all the footage in his camera.
AJI's report also prompted Reporters Without Borders (RSF) to issue a statement, calling on all those involved, including protesters and police, "to respect the work of the media by ending all acts of violence and intimidation against journalists."
It further noted that "investigations must be carried out to identify and punish those responsible for violence against reporters." In a joint press release, AJI Jakarta and the Legal Aid Institute has also urged authorities to conduct an investigation on the violence and intimidation against journalists.