REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Indonesian government should be cautious and anticipate the possibility of foreign journalists committing violations in light of its policy to open Papua and grant journalists access to the province, Defence Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu said.
"We should expel them if they begin to instigate (trouble). There is a law (against instigations)," Ryamizard said on the sidelines of a cordial meeting with journalists at his office here on Tuesday (27/5).
According to the defense minister, the entry into Papua of foreign journalists is fully supported as long as they report on issues that are important to the government and the people of Papua and provide an accurate picture of conditions in the province.
Therefore, he expressed hope that all sides would perform their duties with sensitivity, including respect for the security apparatuses in place such as the monitoring of foreign journalists entering Papua.
In the meantime, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno remarked that President Joko Widodo's policy to provide open access for journalists seeking to enter Papua was a strategic one aimed at establishing a positive image of Indonesia among the international community.
"It could change the international community's perception of Papua. The message that violence and violations of human rights do not occur in Papua can be disseminated," Purdijatno pointed out.
However, he asserted that foreign journalists who wish to cover Papua should abide by the laws of Indonesia.
"As a sovereign country, Indonesia has laws and territorial sovereignty. Foreign journalists should abide by the rules that apply in Indonesia," Purdijatno said at a seminar on "Providing Open Access to Papua for Foreign Journalists."
He believes that some parties are publishing negative information about human rights violations in Papua.
Therefore, any foreign journalists seeking to cover Papua must follow legal procedures, including those required by immigration laws. They must fill out permission request forms and submit a letter of assignment from their respective media houses.
Purdijatno also explained that the clearance house was essentially required to preserve the country's interests and sovereignty.
"For a while, the term 'clearance house' was renamed to 'the foreign monitoring team of Indonesia' and had the same duties and functions," he added.
Earlier, President Widodo had ordered the Indonesian Military and National Police to stop applying repressive security protocols in Papua. The president also stressed the need to engage in dialogue with the Papuan people as one of the key methods of building mutual trust.
With regard to providing open access to foreign journalists and international organizations wishing to enter Papua and West Papua, Deputy Chairman of Commission I of the House of Representatives Tantowi Yahya lauded the government's step as a way of resolving the problems in Papua.
"It is a good move to handle the problems in Papua," he said.
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