AUCKLAND (Radio New Zealand / Pacific Media Watch): Two French journalists arrested in West Papua for reporting on human rights abuses by the Indonesian military will probably go on trial in two weeks time, reports Radio New Zealand.
"The chairperson of the West Papua branch of the Alliance of Independent Journalists, Victor Mambor, says immigration officials have advised the pair would likely be found guilty, but would serve a shorter sentence than the five years originally sought," Radio New Zealand reported this morning.
Indonesia forbids foreign journalists from reporting in West Papua without a specific journalist's visa, which is rarely granted. The maximum sentence for breaching this immigration law is five years in prison and a US$46,000 fine.
It is still not clear whether Thomas Dandois, 40, and Valentine Bourrat, 29, will be charged only with the immigration offence or with the more serious crime of "subversion" or "involvement with armed criminal groups".
Indonesian authorities have said that they are investigating subversion charges on the basis that Dandois and Bourrat filmed protests by West Papuan freedom activists.
Dandois and Bourrat have been in custody since August 6, which is unusual since Indonesia normally deports foreign political journalists shortly after detaining them.
Mambor told Radio New Zealand that Indonesia was using the trial to send a message that they would defy the international community's growing calls for foreign journalists to be allowed into West Papua:
"It means this is Indonesian authority. So any foreigner, even a journalist, they need to show respect of Indonesian rule. Of course, it's Indonesian rules but for the democracy and the press, freedom of expression is not good."
Meanwhile, Green Left Weekly newspaper has reported that the Indonesian police spokesperson Sulistyo Pudjo is investigating text messages on the phones of Bourrat and Dandois which he claims shows "they were taking orders from someone in Australia called 'NC' ".
This is a reference to Melbourne-based Nick Chesterfield, editor of the West Papua Media news service.
Sulistyo told Fairfax: “Fortunately NC is in Australia, because if he was in Indonesia we’d arrest him.”
Chesterfield has rejected Sulistyo's comments, saying that his group only provides information to journalists travelling to the region.
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