M. Azis Tunny, Ambon – SUN-TV journalist Ridwan Salamun was killed on Saturday while covering a communal clash between villagers from Banda Ely and Fiditan in Tual, Maluku.
The clash reportedly occurred at 8:30 a.m. local time. Ridwan suffered fatal injuries from a spear wound and a cut to his head. His body was evacuated to the provincial capital of Ambon City on a Wings Air flight, where Maluku Police chief Brig. Gen. Totoy Herawan Indra confirmed Ridwan's death. "He was killed while covering clashes in Fiditan village," Indra said.
Elders and religious figures from the two opposing groups came to an amicable settlement on Friday after clashes initially flared on Thursday. However, unrest erupted again on Saturday, damaging three houses. "One injured resident was rushed to the hospital," Indra said.
The police deployed 100 mobile brigade officers to contain the conflict, who were assisted by Southeast Maluku Police, he said.
The Indonesian Television Journalist Association (IJTI) condemned the killing and urged the police to bring the perpetrators to justice. "We deplore the incident. Ridwan came to the conflict site purely in his capacity as a television journalist," IJTI's Maluku office head Hamdi Jempot said.
Holding posters and wreaths, fellow journalists associated with IJTI and the Maluku Media Center (MMC) rallied before the Maluku Police headquarters, demanding an investigation.
"Upholding justice is part of our responsibility, and we will immediately look into this case to help catch the perpetrators," Indra said.
Southeast Maluku Police have identified the perpetrators, National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Iskandar Hasan said in Jakarta.
"We have identified those responsible for the killing and we are pursuing them right now, but we need time to investigate the case," Iskandar told journalists via text message on Saturday.
The Tual incident came almost a month after Merauke TV journalist Ardiansyah Matrais was found floating in the Maro River, Merauke, Papua.
Martais's death was allegedly linked to his coverage of illegal logging practices in Papua published in Jubi magazine last year. He reportedly received text threats beforehand.
Autopsy results indicated Matrais was murdered and dumped in the river, the National Police confirmed.
Several other journalists in Papua – Lala (Bintang Papua daily reporter), Raymond (Papua Selatan Pos chief editor), Indri (Jubi tabloid reporter) and Sulo (Cendrawasih Pos reporter) – had also received text threats and letters written in blood, Indonesian Human Rights Watch (Imparsial) said.
"The state has failed in its duties to protect defenders of human rights," Imparsial managing director Poengky Indarti said on Saturday.
Imparsial data indicates that there have been 18 cases of violence against journalists in Indonesia this year.
"Violent incidents [against journalists] commonly occur in regions far away from the Indonesian capital," Indonesian Press Alliance representative Nezar Patria said. "Journalists are threatened if they criticize local politics or monitor abuses of power," he said.
The government should be required to put forth all efforts to investigate violence against journalists because they are protected by the freedom of the press law, Nezar added.
Ridwan was born on Aug. 19 1982. He worked for Ambon TV from 2006 to 2008. When the station ceased operation, Ridwan reported to Jakarta-based TPI as a stringer in 2009 and to RCTI in 2010. He was more recently appointed as a contributor to SUN-TV, which like RCTI and TPI, is a subsidiary of the MNC Group. He was stationed in Tual and Southeast Maluku.
Ridwan is survived by his wife, Nurfi Saoda Toisuta, and 3-year-old son, M. Rizky Zaky. (lnd)
[Dicky Christanto contributed to the story from Jakarta.]