Jayapura, Jubi – Chief Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, Tedjo Edhy Purdijitno last week said the team tasked with monitoring foreign journalists in Indonesia has been renamed from ‘Clearing House’ the Foreign Affairs Monitoring Team.
“The term clearing house was renamed the foreign affairs monitoring team which has the same tasks and responsibilities to monitor the foreign journalists in Indonesia,” the Chief Minister said.
The Papua Legislative Council’s Commission I member, Ruben Magay, said Saturday that the change of term actually indicates the government is not prepared to deal with the information and communication era. “Today the information can no longer be limited either by the state or groups,” said Magay, last week.
He further said what have been done by the Central Government has no connection with the substance of Press Law No.40/1999 regulating the foreign press in Indonesia.
“Press Law No.40/1999 clearly consisted of articles regulating the foreign press in Indonesia that are the Article 1 Paragraph 7 and Article 16 about the circulation of foreign press and the establishment of media company representative offices referring to the applied regulations. Besides to these two articles, the article 11 of the Press Law also regulates about the foreign investment into Press Company,” Magay said.
But the fact is until now the government is still attempting to strict the foreign press coming to Papua in many ways. “The government’s attempt to strict the foreign press to Papua is the attempt against the law,” he said. In addition, it is comparable with the attempt of a thief who frightens to be caught. A thief, further Magay, always suspects the others. This is the real situation happened in Jakarta, huge suspicion towards Papuans.
Magay emphasized about the important of foreign press to come to Papua in order to clarify the recent situation in Papua. “The international community wants a clear and balance information about Papua,” he said.
Further he said the Article 2 of Press Law No.40/1999 clearly mentions the freedom of press is a manifestation of people power in accordance with the principles of democracy, justice and law supreme. Therefore the attempt to make restriction on press; either it was local, national or international is against the principle of the freedom of press itself. (Victor Mambor/rom)
