REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - The Press Council of Indonesia (PWI) has urged the government to deport the two French journalists, Thomas Charles Dandois and Marie Valentine Bourrat, in order to prevent an escalation of their immigration issues.
"They have not only committed violation of immigration law, but have also contacted various sources in Papua," Chairman of the Indonesia Press Council Bagir Manan reported here.
The Press Council had sent a letter to the Directorate General of Immigration, Ministry of Law and Human Rights, after receiving a report about the detention of Dandois and Bourrat.
Regarding the allegation of the involvement of the French journalists with armed groups in Papua, Bagir replied that every country might cordon off some parts or all of the territory under certain circumstance.
After determining the status of an area, one cannot move in and out of the area without official permission. According to Bagir, public should know about the current status of a territory.
"If security situations develop, a clear legal basis should be formulated to establish whether a violation has occurred," Bagir explained.
He added that an information could be considered illegal if it had become a journalistic work through publication in the mass media.
"Foreign journalists are not discriminated from Indonesian journalists in terms of professionalism. The difference lies only with immigration laws and permits," Bagir pointed out.
Apart from the Press Council, the Alliance of Indonesian Independent Journalists (AJI) had also urged the government to deport Dandois and Bourrat to their country immediately.
"They were conducting research and had contacted sources before the coverage team had arrived at the site," Chairman of AJI Eko Maryadi noted.
AJI had asked the police and immigration offices to release the journalists and return their equipment. Dandois and Bourrat were detained in Wamena by Papua Regional Police on August 6 for their alleged involvement with armed groups.
On August 12, Deputy Chief Police of Papua Brigadier General Paulus Waterpauw claimed that the journalists had been reporting and meeting a number of armed groups in Jayapura and Wamena. Brig. Waterpauw said if the two foreigners, who posed as journalists, were found to be involved with armed groups, then they could be charged under criminal laws, in addition to immigration laws.
"We are still coordinating with the Immigration Office on whether the two French journalists might have disrupted the integrity of Indonesia," Brig. Waterpauw added.
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