Yogyakarta, Jubi – Papua councilor Lauzensus Kadepa accused the national media in Jakarta of fuelling the conflict in Papua.

"Some reports about the hostage-taking showed the national media in Jakarta are not professional. They accused the wrong people, those who were never involved. That's their bad side. This is an effort to keep enforcing the project of conflict in Papua with the intention to destroy Papua," Kadepa said in Jayapura on Wednesday (16/9/2015).

He cited the coverage on Tolikara case, in which some media in Jakarta continue to raise the issue of the little mosque was burned while the coverage on the shooting victims perpetrated by security forces was never given a space.

"That's it. It showed the national media are taking side instead of being neutral. Similar thing was happened on the report about two Indonesian citizens who are taken hostages in the border of Indonesia – PNG, or when a national media reported that West Papua National Committee was involved in action since 2006 while it was established at the end of 2008. Well, I advise to national journalists asking their local journalist colleagues about the local situation before publishing their writing. I guess there's a grand design to destroy Papua," he said.

Separately, senior journalist and Human Right Watch researcher said there are many problems among the so-called 'media national journalist' in Jayapura, Manokwari and Timika. They (journalist) are often underpaid that forced them to collect cash from their news resources.

He further said Papua geographical space that often seven time of the size of Java Island is not considered by media leaders in Jakarta. As a consequence, the less payment could not be used to cover the cost of reportage.

"Most of national media reporters in Papua have sold their independence to the third party. Even in 2011, leaked military document listed dozens of reporters as intelligent and informant of Military Special Force. Their names were circulated on social media, and recently it was analyzed by Sydney Morning Herald and Allan Nairn," he told Jubi from Jakarta.

Harsono revealed those who mentioned in the military document are mostly 'straight-haired' journalists. However, he recognizes some 'curly-haired' journalists who also sold their independence.

"I think the Press Council need to conduct special investigation on several disturbing news, including the report written by two media national journalists, and to find out whether it was done on purpose or not. It's required to recover the people's trust in Papua – indigenous or migrant – against journalism in Indonesia," he said. (Arnold Belau/rom)

Source: http://tabloidjubi.com/en/2015/09/18/laurenzus-kadepa-national-media-fuelling-conflict-in-papua/