“The growing trend of assaults involving civilians is the result of an absence of law enforcement,” AJI chairman Suwarjono said during the celebration of World Press Freedom Day at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC).

The data show that around 38 of the total number of cases were in the form of physical abuse and 14 were expulsions or prohibition from covering news. The AJI also revealed that nine of the cases involved the forcing of journalists in deleting reports, photos or video recordings they had previously gathered.

Besides this, the AJI recorded seven terror or intimidation cases against journalists and two cases of criminalization and two instances of verbal intimidation by public figures. The perpetrators included state officials including police and Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) officers, politicians, lawmakers, policymakers, lawyers and judges.

“Police officers, whose duty is to protect all citizens, not only turn a blind eye to violence against journalists but, in many cases, are the perpetrators themselves,” Suwarjono said.

(Read also: Violence against journalists reaches 10-year high) 

Therefore, Suwarjono said, the AJI Indonesia had declared the police as an “enemy of the press” in 2017, with many of their personnel involved with impunity in cases of violence against journalists. “The AJI urges the enforcement of protections for journalists under the 1999 Press Law,” he asserted. (dan)

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