• Contact
28 / 09 / 2023
International Coalition for Papua
  • News
  • About Papua
  • Human Rights Report
    • Quarterly Reports
    • 2021
    • 2019
    • 2017
    • 2015
    • 2013
    • 2011
    • 2009
    • Genocide Report
  • Resources
    • International Law
      & Norms
    • National Laws
    • Political History
No Result
View All Result
International Coalition for Papua
  • News
  • About Papua
  • Human Rights Report
    • Quarterly Reports
    • 2021
    • 2019
    • 2017
    • 2015
    • 2013
    • 2011
    • 2009
    • Genocide Report
  • Resources
    • International Law
      & Norms
    • National Laws
    • Political History
International Coalition for Papua

Government keeps restrictive policy for foreign journalists covering in West Papua

18.11.2021
in 2019
Reading Time: 2 mins read
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

An interview on 23 May 2019 with the head of the immigration division in the regional office of the Ministry for Law and Human Rights in Papua Province, Mr. Hermansyah Siregar (see intro image), has confirmed what human rights organisations had been criticising since May 2015, when President Joko Widodo announced the opening of West Papua to foreign journalists. West Papua remains a restricted area for foreign journalist. Any journalist visa will only be approved once the applicant has obtained all necessary documents through the Clearing House procedure, a lengthy bureaucratic procedure which is mandatory for foreign journalists intending to cover in the Indonesian provinces of Papua and Papua Barat.

Hermansyah Siregar re-confirmed during the interview that foreigners in West Papua – particularly journalist – continue to be strictly monitored by security force members. The surveillance was a preventive measure to ensure that journalists would not produce ‘provocative’ news, said Siregar. Foreigners are only permitted to work in West Papua if their work is beneficial without jeopardizing the security and the sovereignty of the Indonesian State.

Background

On the 10 May 2015, President Joko Widodo publicly announced that foreign journalists would have free access to work in West Papua, stating that he had already discussed the matter with his ministers, the national police chief and military generals. Jokowi explained during the interview that the Clearing House procedure would be abolished and foreign journalists covering events in West Papua would no longer need a special permission differing from the permission for other parts of Indonesia.

The burdensome application process takes several months and requires approval from twelve different state agencies, including the military. The permission is only approved with the condition that journalists cover non-political issues, related to development or culture. If foreign journalists get a visa and permission for media coverage in Papua Province, the local police and military will monitor them, including the persons they meet and interview.

So far, it remained unclear to what extent President Joko Widodo’s commitment in 2015 was actually implemented. The major problem is that President Jokowi’s public statement was never enforced through a government regulation. Such a regulation should guarantee that foreign journalists can cover news events freely in West Papua without intimidation, limitations or being escorted by security force members during media coverage.

During the 3rd cycle of Indonesia Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council in May 2017, the Indonesian minister for foreign affairs, Mrs Retno Marsudi, mentioned the opening of West Papua for foreign journalists and international organizations among the government’s major human rights achievements. She elaborated that 39 foreign journalists had allegedly covered in West Papua in 2015, resembling an increase of 41% in comparison to 2014.

Previous Post

Papuan provincial parliament is drafting local regulation on the settlement of human rights violations

Next Post

The WCC Executive Committee Statement: Concern and Solidarity for West Papua

Related Post

Labour Union files lawsuit against Freeport Indonesia and Department of Manpower and Transmigration

Labour Union files lawsuit against Freeport Indonesia and Department of Manpower and Transmigration

17.11.2021
Attorney General forms team to investigate Bloody Paniai Case

Attorney General forms team to investigate Bloody Paniai Case

08.12.2021
Police officers obstruct journalists at the district police station in Yahukimo

Police officers obstruct journalists at the district police station in Yahukimo

17.11.2021

Category

  • 2013
  • 2014
  • 2015
  • 2016
  • 2017
  • 2018
  • 2019
  • 2020
  • 2021
  • About Us
  • Biennial Report
  • CCPR Review 2013
  • CESCR Review 2014
  • Human Rights Report
  • International Law & Norms
  • National Laws
  • News
  • Political History
  • Quarterly Reports
  • Resources
  • Special Reports
  • Uncategorized

Tags

new (17)

ABOUT PAPUA

West Papua is the western half of the New Guinea island and comprises the two eastern-most Indonesian Provinces (Province Papua & Province Papua Barat). After decades of transmigration from other parts of Indonesia, the indigenous Melanesian population makes up less than 40% of the population.

Links

  • News
  • About Papua
  • Human Rights Report
  • Resources

Instagram Feed

    Go to the Customizer > JNews : Social, Like & View > Instagram Feed Setting, to connect your Instagram account.

Recent Post

Update on legal processes in relation to attack on military post in Maybrat – Lawyers call upon judges to acquit juvenile defendant

Update on law enforcement process in relation to attack on military post in Maybrat – six defendants transferred to Makassar for trial

31.12.2021
18 September 2021 marks end of palm oil moratorium in Indonesia – NGOs demand extension

Palm oil company PT Subur Karunia Raya alleged of breaching multiple laws in Teluk Bintuni

31.12.2021

© 2021 ICP - Webdesign by ➤ digitaleformate

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Human Rights Report
    • Quarterly Reports
    • 2019
    • 2017
    • 2015
    • 2013
    • 2011
    • 2009
    • Genocide Report
  • Resources
    • International Law & Norms
    • National Laws
    • Political History
  • About Us

© 2021 ICP - Webdesign by ➤ digitaleformate

Manage Cookie Consent
We use cookies to optimize our website and our service.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
Preferences
{title} {title} {title}
Skip to content
Open toolbar Accessibility Tools

Accessibility Tools

  • Increase TextIncrease Text
  • Decrease TextDecrease Text
  • GrayscaleGrayscale
  • Links UnderlineLinks Underline
  • Readable FontReadable Font
  • Reset Reset