2) Blackout lacks ‘substance, procedures’: Jokowi sued over govt-imposed internet ban in Papua
3) Sports Minister, Papua Governor Ensure Security for PON 2020
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1) Civil groups sue government over Papua internet ban
Marchio Irfan Gorbiano The Jakarta Post
Jakarta / Wed, January 22, 2020 / 07:55 pm
Papuan students under the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) rally to commemorate Dec. 1, the day pro-independence activists regard as Papuan independence day, on Dec. 2 in Yogyakarta. (JP/Bambang Muryanto)
Civil society groups have accused the government of misconduct in its decision to restrict internet access in restive Papua last year as part of efforts to contain the spread of hoaxes, according to a lawsuit filed at the Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN).
The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) and the Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network (SAFEnet) is suing President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and the Communications and Information Ministry over the internet access restriction imposed in Papua and West Papua between August and September last year.
Government officials argued that the move was taken to prevent the spread of hoaxes following incidents of racial abuse suffered by Papuan students in Surabaya, East Java, which had heightened tensions in Indonesia’s easternmost provinces.
In their lawsuit, which was read by presiding judge Nelvy Christin, the plaintiffs asked the court’s panel of justices to declare the defendants’ actions unlawful and to order the government to refrain from imposing similar measures in the future, as well as paying the plaintiff’s fees incurred by the case.
“The government’s policy to extend the internet blackout […] was an act against the law [carried out] by government bodies and/or government officials. The acts of the defendants were flawed in their authority, procedure and substance,” said Nelvy in Jakarta on Wednesday.
The government throttled back internet access in parts of Papua and West Papua on Aug. 19, 2019 between 1 p.m. and 8.30 p.m. local time, shortly after the incident in Surabaya, according to the lawsuit. It went on to impose a full blackout between Aug. 21 and Sept. 4, affecting 29 cities and regencies in Papua and 13 cities and regencies in West Papua.
“As a result of the actions the defendants, journalists in Papua and West Papua could not go about their daily jobs of meeting the public’s right to information because of the lack of or limited internet access,” Nelvy said.
The AJI and SAFEnet said in the lawsuit that they considered the internet blackout to have violated stipulations set out in, among other pieces of legislation, the 1999 Human Rights Law and the 1999 Press Law.
Only legal representatives from the Communications and Information Ministry attended the hearing on Wednesday, President Jokowi was not represented at the hearing.
In its defense statement, the ministry said that the decision to limit internet access in Papua and West Papua was made within the existing law and carried out according to principles of good governance.
“The defendants emphasized in their petition that their acts […] were not acts against the law because they were in line with regulations and the principles of good governance,” Nelvy said, reading the ministry’s response to the plaintiff’s lawsuit.
The ministry also filed an exception, arguing that the plaintiffs did not have an interest in the lawsuit and therefore did not have legal standing in the case.
The hearing was adjourned on Wednesday and scheduled to resume on Jan. 29 to hear the arguments from representatives of President Jokowi.
Indonesian Legal Aid Institute Foundation (YLBHI) head of advocacy Muhammad Isnur – who represents the plaintiffs in the case – said after the hearing that the plaintiffs also included their respective track records in advocating the rights of the press and therefore had proper legal standing in the case.
The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) deputy coordinator of advocacy Putri Kanesia – who also represents the plaintiffs – said the case served as an important lesson for the government to act in accordance with principles of accountability in their policy of restricting internet access.
“When the government said [the internet blackout] was imposed to avoid the spreading of hoaxes in Papua, it meant journalists in Papua were not able to provide clear information to the public, not only those in Papua but also wider Indonesian citizens who are entitled to their right to access correct information on the situation in Papua,” said Putri.
She added that hopefully the government would refrain from unilaterally restricting or throttling internet access in the name of containing the spread of hoaxes without providing accountability and transparency to the public
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2) Blackout lacks ‘substance, procedures’: Jokowi sued over govt-imposed internet ban in Papua
Marchio Irfan Gorbiano The Jakarta Post
Jakarta / Wed, January 22, 2020 / 04:20 pm
Civil society groups have filed a lawsuit against President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s administration over the internet blackout imposed during the weeks of protests in Papua and West Papua last year, arguing that it was substantially and procedurally flawed.
The plaintiffs — the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) and the Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network (SAFEnet) — specifically sued the President and the Communications and Information Ministry over the blackout, lodging the case with the Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN).
They demanded the court declare that the internet blackout — which officials argued was to put in place to prevent hoaxes from spreading — was flawed in authority, substance and procedure, asking the panel of justices to order the government to refrain from imposing similar measures in the future and to pay the fees incurred by the case.
“The government’s policy of imposing the internet blackout […] is an act against the law [carried out] by a government body and/or government officials,” the plaintiffs said in their lawsuit, which was read out by presiding judge Nelvy Christin during the first hearing of the case on Wednesday.
“The acts of the defendant were flawed in their authority, procedure and substance,” the lawsuit proclaimed.
The government throttled back internet access in parts of the country’s easternmost provinces on Aug. 19, 2019 between 1 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. local time, shortly after widespread protests escalated in the regions in response to incidents of racial abuse suffered by Papuan students in Surabaya, East Java.
According to the lawsuit, the government imposed a weeks-long blackout between Aug. 21 and Sept. 4, affecting 29 cities and regencies in Papua and 13 cities and regencies in West Papua.
“Due to the deeds of the defendants, journalists in Papua and West Papua could not do their daily jobs to fulfill the public’s rights to information because of the lack of or limited internet access,” Nelvy said, reading out the lawsuit.
AJI and SAFEnet said they considered the internet blackout to have violated stipulations set out in, among other pieces of legislation, Law No. 39/1999 on human rights and Law No. 40/1999 on the press.
For the defendants, only one legal representative from the Communications and Information Ministry attended the hearing on Wednesday.
The ministry argued that the government’s decision to limit internet access in Papua and West Papua was done according to existing law and the principles of good governance.
The hearing was adjourned and is scheduled to resume on Jan. 29 when the judges are to hear arguments presented by a representative of President Jokowi.
Editor's note: Paragraph seven of this article has been edited.
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3) Sports Minister, Papua Governor Ensure Security for PON 2020
Translator: Dewi Elvia Muthiariny Editor: Petir Garda Bhwana 22 January 2020 07:02 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The government called on all contingents not to concern about security issues for the XX National Sports Week, or PON 2020, in Papua, which is scheduled to be held from October 20 to November 2, 2020.
Youth and Sports Minister Zainudin Amali said concerns over the security in the country’s easternmost province should not be worried. "There is nothing to worry about. Moreover, the event is directly led by the governor (Lukas Enembe)," said Zainudin at his office, Jakarta, Tuesday, January 21.
According to him, the Papua administration guaranteed the readiness and preparation of the national event both in terms of infrastructure and security.
"This will be the same as PON in East Kalimantan, Riau, South Sumatra," Zainudin added.
Papua Governor Lukas Enembe seconded the minister’s statement, underlining that his region was not much different from Jakarta and Sumatra Province. “We have the largest number of Indonesian Military and National Police personnel. So what are we afraid of? There is no problem,” Lukas remarked.
Lukas went on to say that as a part of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, Papua is ready to host PON. "The event implementation in Papua will be a success," he shared optimism.
On Tuesday afternoon, Minister Zainudin received a visit of Papua Governor Lukas Enembe who also served as the Committee Head of the PON 2020. The session was also attended by the National Sports Committee (KONI) chairman Marciano Norman.
IRSYAN HASYIM
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