Wahyoe Boediwardhana, Malang – The Independent Journalists' Alliance (AJI) has recorded 44 incidents of violence against journalists across the country in the past year, calling it the main hindrance to press freedom in Indonesia.
Heru Priyatmojo, advocacy coordinator of the AJI's Malang branch, said there were far more physical and verbal abuse cases, with the reported cases only the tip of the iceberg.
"The cases have become a source of concern for Indonesian journalists, as such violence has become an obstacle for journalists seeking to report on a case or event," he said Monday after a rally organized to commemorate International Press Freedom Day in Malang.
He added 19 of the 44 reported cases involved physical violence, while nine featured verbal abuse or threats, eight involved a ban on coverage, and seven involved journalists' equipment being confiscated.
AJI Malang chairman Abdi Purnomo said one journalist had been murdered in Bali, and one taken hostage in Papua. "We also recorded 13 cases of journalists being criminalized and sued. This also a hindrance to press freedom in Indonesia," he said.
"All cases being heard at various courts are defamation cases. In other countries, articles on defamation and libel are no longer popular and have been wiped out."
However, he warned that journalists were not legally untouchable. "If a journalist commits a crime, such as murder or blackmail, then they deserve to be treated like other criminals," Purnomo said.
"Press institutions should also prevent themselves being used for personal gain, such as practice of news trade or taking bribes, which go against journalism ethics and principles."
The AJI said 34 of the reported cases stemmed from the perpetrators not wishing to have journalists report on certain stories. Others included perpetrators who were disappointed with the reports (five cases) and perpetrators who demanded journalists reveal their sources (two cases).
Police officers dominated the list of perpetrators with 12 cases, followed by civilian officials with seven cases and military officers with five cases. The AJI also recorded violence committed by supporters of gubernatorial candidates and workers (three cases each), while university students, businessmen and thugs had two cases each.
Jakarta had the most incidents of violence against journalists (six incidents), followed by South Sulawesi (five); East Java, North Maluku, Riau and Riau Islands (four), and North Sumatra, West Java and Papua with three cases each.