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Soldiers arrested for hitting journalists |
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 Indonesia
ELEVEN soldiers were arrested for attacking journalists who were covering a raid at an underground cafe in Padang. According to the commander of Navy Base Command II in Padang, Brig. Gen. Gatot Subroto, the soldiers admitted to carrying out acts of violence. "We have arrested 11 soldiers," he said last Wednesday. Gatot's statement contradicts the statement made by the Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Admiral Agus Suhartono, who said that there was no abuse conducted towards the journalists. "There was no abuse, no one was purposely abused," he said. He also denied the accusations that the Indonesian Military (TNI) was actually aiding the cafe that the Police of Padang City was going to set straight. The Coordinator of the Advocate Division of the Alliance of Independent Journalists, Aryo Aryo Wisanggeni, regrets the growing violence against journalists. "The abusers are immune to the law," says Aryo. l
Growing abuse
Aside from incidents in Padang and Palu in Sulawesi, violence towards journalists continue to grow.
March 27
TVOne cameraman, Adi Hartanto, is attacked by police during a clash between police and protesting students at Gambir, Central Jakarta.
May 7
Four journalists from Trans 7, Radio Elsinta, and TVRI are beaten by police when they were covering a falun dafa activist protest on Jalan Gubernur Suryo, Surabaya.
March 3
Vivanews and Jakarta Globe contributor Banjir Ambarita is stabbed by an unknown person in Jayapura.
December 18
Alfrets Mirulewan (Pelangi Tabloid) dies when he is investigating a story regarding the smuggling and hoarding of fuel at Maluku Barat Daya District.
August 20
Ridwan Salamun (Sun TV) dies in a riot in Tual, Southeast Maluku.
July 29
Ardiansyah of (Merauke TV) is found dead in Merauke, Papua.
July 26
Muhammad Syaifullah (Kompas) is found dead in Balikpapan.
February
Marlon (Papua TV) is stabbed on the KM Nggapulu ship. Separately, five journalists are beaten by unidentified people when they are going to cover a story regarding the mass rampage of the Nafri Tribe around the Jayapura Harbor.
Tempo
No. 41/12, June 10, 2012
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