July 24, 2024

Murder still threatens the Indonesian press

topic:	Freedom of Expression
located:	Indonesia
editor:	Tonggo Simangunsong

The murder of a journalist in North Sumatra has again sparked questions about press freedom in Indonesia: why are journalists vulnerable to being targets of murder?

Indonesia’s press law regulates the protection of its journalists. Article 18 of the law states that every individual, organisation, and even the police must not obstruct the work of journalists to obtain information.

The 48-year-old journalist Rico Sempurna Pasaribu reported on gambling crimes involving military officers in Indonesia’s Karo district for local media Tribrata TV before he was murdered on June 27 by arson of his house.

Twelve days after the incident, which also killed three members of his family, the police arrested two persecutors and the man who ordered the arson, who was suspected of being connected to a member of the military.

The alleged military involvement in this case prompted human rights institutions to speak out. “The case requires special attention due to suspicions of military involvement. Pasaribu had reported on online gambling activities allegedly backed by military members shortly before his death,” said the Secretary-General of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), Bayu Wardana, together with Amnesty International Indonesia, told the media.

Accompanied by the Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) of Medan and the Journalists Safety Committee of North Sumatra, Sempurna’s daughter reported the case to the Indonesian National Armed Forces. She urged an investigation into the murder of her father.

“Soldiers who engage in corruption, extortion, threats, or killings should know that they have no place in the army and instead belong in prison,” said Deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, Meenakshi Ganguly. 

Nearly a month into the case, the police have not revealed the military’s involvement in the Pasaribu murder case, which sparked questions about whether the military was protecting its members suspected of being involved in the murder, which Army Chief of Staff Maruli Simanjuntak later denied. “Why must we protect [crimes]?” He told reporters.

Indonesia’s press freedom index sits at 111th out of 180 countries. With 329 out of 763 cases of violence against journalists in Indonesia from 2006 to 2023, North Sumatra is a red zone for press freedom in Indonesia.

In 2022, a journalist was shot dead allegedly after reporting narcotics trafficking and blamed for accepting bribes.

Despite the violations of the code of ethics committed by several journalists, the Press Council does not condone murder as a way to silence the press while emphasising that journalists should work professionally and adhere to their professional code of ethics.

“The activities of journalists, in this case, Tribrata TV journalists, carrying out other work which is suspected of violating the law is not a justification for the violence they experienced,” said Press Council Chair Ninik Rahayu. 

Image by u_ojq9rdzqq7.

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