PROMOTING HUMAN RIGHTS, PEACE AND DEMOCRACY IN INDONESIA

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< PRESS RELEASES

23 July 2001

The continued non-appearance of the Banda Aceh-based daily Serambi is a violation of freedom of the press. TAPOL herewith calls on the ASNLF to issue a clear statement promising not to interfere in any way with its continued production.

With all its failings and limitations, Serambi is the only daily newspaper produced in Aceh and its absence is a grave loss to everyone seeking to disseminate information about the conflict.

The statement issued on 18 August by the military spokesman of the ASNLF presents what is almost certainly an accurate account of the pressures under which the newspaper has been compelled to function. The statement is an important contribution to the discussion on the severe restraints on press freedom in Aceh. The Indonesian security forces have had years of experience forcing the media to comply with their wishes, especially in situations where the they are involved in conflicts with armed or non-armed opponents. The intensity of the conflict in Aceh, especially since the start of the current military operations facilitated by Presidential Instruction IV/2001 (Inpres IV/2001), has made it even more difficult for independent monitors to record the atrocities and incidents occurring daily throughout Aceh. They too are under heavy pressure from the security forces.

With the introduction of Inpres IV/2001, Aceh is effectively under a state of emergency, placing severe restrictions on media reporting. No one doubts that the security forces are in a position to gain an important propaganda advantage by being able to force Serambi to publish only their version of events. As is so often the case in war situations, the first casualty is the truth and the blame rests first and foremost with the security forces.

Even so, there can be no justification for the ASNLF to prevent the daily from appearing, thereby being guilty itself of a serious violation of the principle of freedom of the press. ASNLF spokesmen have shown themselves to be very skilful at getting their message across through press statements and in interviews with journalists, whether by phone or other means of communication. But it does their cause no good to use the same methods of censorship and pressure as the Indonesian security forces.

Serambi has clearly been caught in a vice and its journalists cannot be expected to risk their lives because of the way they report events in Aceh. The newspaper should be given an assurance that it can continue publication without fear of the consequences from the ASNLF.

At the same time, we strongly condemn the Indonesian security forces for exerting pressure on the newspaper, and for imposing restrictions on media activities in general in Aceh. We call on media organisations in Indonesia and elsewhere to do everything in their power to protect journalists in Aceh from intimidation and pressure from the Indonesian security forces. The principle of disseminating information about the situation in Aceh from all sides must be upheld.

ENDS

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