8. West papuan control: How red tape, disinformation and bogus online media disrupts legitimate news sources

Abstract

Indonesia is ranked 124th out of 180 countries in the 2019 Global Press Freedom Index. West Papua, comprising the two Melanesian provinces of Papua and West Papua, is a significant factor is this low ranking. While other parts of Indonesia enjoy relatively free media coverage, West Papua remains the most closed region to media access, particularly to foreign media. There are patterns of threats that implicate the safety and security of local journalists in the territory. A clearing house, an intricate red-tape system, was re-introduced in May 2019 to screen foreign journalists going to the region of West Papua. Journalists require a permit to go there. Security forces monitor the journalists during their work in the region. In the past decade, two journalists have been killed, multiple journalists have been assaulted and arrested, and international journalists deported. Most of the cases remain open with no clear investigation process. Online media disrupts the work of legitimate news sources, sharing positioned disinformation to manipulate the public. There is no freedom of expression or freedom of information in West Papua.