Maria Baru, Sorong – The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) is urging the Papua Regional Police (Polda Papua) to immediately solve the October 16, 2024 Molotov cocktail terror attack against the Jubi editorial office in Jayapura.
Fifteen months after the attack, the Papua police have again come under scrutiny after failing to publicly identify the perpetrators of the Molotov cocktail terror attack. The police's silence is seen as a form of inaction, public manipulation and the protection of perpetrators of crimes against the press.
AJI Secretary General Bayu Wardhana emphasised that the case must be followed up seriously and the identities of the perpetrators made public immediately.
He said that allowing the case to drag on will only make it an "annual story" without legal clarity. According to Wardhana, the failure to thoroughly investigate the attack will further worsen the state of press freedom and democracy in Papua.
"This case must be resolved. If not, it will continue to be a recurring story each year", Wardhana said during a public discussion titled "The silencing of the media and the press freedom crisis in Eastern Indonesia", which held at the Swiss-Bell Hotel in Sorong city, Southwest Papua, on Monday February 2.
Meanwhile, Jubi editor-in-chief Jean Bisay openly accused the Papua Regional Police of being "con artists," because despite knowing the perpetrator's identity, they have yet to reveal it to the public.
Bisay emphasised that to prevent practices of impunity for crimes targeting journalists and the media, the perpetrators of the Molotov bomb terror attack must be identified and punished according to prevailing laws in Indonesia.
"If the perpetrators are not punished, impunity will continue to occur", he said.
During the same discussion, Catholic rights activist Yuliana Langowuyo highlighted the role of the Press Council in ensuring that every media outlet has standard operating procedures (SOPs) to protect journalists, especially in high-risk reporting.
Langowuyo stated that journalists are human rights workers, so their work must be protected systematically and seriously.
Erick Tanjung, a member of the Press Council Working Group, revealed that many media outlets in Indonesia, including those in Jakarta, still lack adequate security protocols for high-risk coverage such as conflict, investigations and disasters.
"This is important homework for the Press Council and media companies to have security protocols for journalists", said Tanjung.
Tanjung believes that the Molotov cocktail attack on the Jubi editorial office is a real test of the state's commitment to protecting press freedom.
"Especially in Papua, which has long been under the shadow of intimidation and violence against the media", he concluded.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Polda Papua Dituding 'Tukang Tipu', Pelaku Bom Molotov Jubi Belum Diumumkan".]
