Palu journalists injured in apparent retribution attack

Two reporters were injured when the Alliance of Independent Journalists’ (AJI) office in Palu, Central Sulawesi; was reportedly attacked on Thursday morning by 20 men in youth organization uniforms.

Assailants wounded Palu AJI head M Ridwan Lapasere and Trans TV contributor Muhammad Sharfin. Trans TV contributor Jafar G Bua and LKBN ANTARA reporter Riski Maruto were kicked but not wounded, according to reports.

“If officials do not immediately enforce the law, we are afraid that this will happen again someplace else. This is the second incident after the Central Sulawesi Indonesian National Youth Committee [KNPI] building attack on Tuesday,” Central Sulawesi Television Journalists Association (IJTI) head Indra Yosvidar said on Thursday, as quoted by kompas.com.

The attack was allegedly connected to a beritapalu.com report that stated that the local youth committee building had been attacked following an internal squabble in the Central Sulawesi KNPI chairman race.

Indra said the attack might mar press freedom in Indonesia.

The “anarchic” attack could have been prevented if the assailants had engaged in a dialog with beritapalu.com staff, she said.