Press Council Urges Simplification Of French Journalists Legal Proceedings

Jakarta, Sept 5 (Antara) - The Indonesian Press Council has asked the authorities to simplify the legal proceedings of two jailed French journalists in Papua on August 7, 2014. Chairman of Indonesian Press Council Bagir Manan reported in a press conference at the Press Council Office in Jakarta on Friday that they accept the two French journalists, Thomas Charles Dandois and Marie Valentine Bourrat, had been imprisoned on charges of violating local immigration laws. "The Press Council, however, suggests the government to simplify the legal procedures," stated Bagir. The Press Council accepts that the fundamental mistake of the journalists was entering with tourist visas. The Indonesian authorities should have deported them to their home country. "The Press Council has purposefully raised the issue with the immigration office, so the issue will be resolved by merely deporting them to France," explained Bagir. The Press Council had also sent a letter to the immigration office asking them to release the journalists immediately. The Press Council stated that they have, however, not received any formal communication from the concerned authorities, either the immigration office or the police. The General Chairman of Indonesian Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), Eko Maryadi, presumed that they were being held so long because the Lanny Jaya gunfire case had occurred coincidentally a week before the police had arrested the journalists. "It is just a presumption, as AJI was aware that from 2012 to 2013, seven foreign journalists, including two French journalists, had also entered on tourist visas to Papua, but they were deported immediately," pointed out Eko. "We do not know the exact reason why the police have been meting out such treatment to Dandois and Bourrat (French Journalists)," he wondered. Echoing the views of the Press Council, AJI also urged the Indonesian authorities to release and deport the journalists immediately, as no evidence was available to link the journalists to any armed group or separatist group in Papua. Thomas Charles Dandois was arrested in Kirime area in Wamena, Papua, while Marie Valentine Bourrat was arrested in a hotel in Wamena City, Papua, on August 7, 2014. Both were caught using tourist visas, while conducting journalistic activities in Papua. Dandois and Bourrat were hired by Arte TV, a television broadcasting channel based in France. The channel had sent a confirmation letter as its capacity as their employer in giving them an assignment to conduct a research for a documentary film in Papua. The France Embassy in Indonesia had also provided personal guarantee for Dandois and Bourrat that both will obey Indonesian Law.