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WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY 2017
Avenida da Liberdade de Imprensa / Avenue of the Freedom of the Press
Dili, Timor-Leste

Contact in Dili: maubere81@gmail.com
TiPaCo International: lian.liberdade@gmail.com

To: Saorla McCabe Ming Kuok Lim
UNESCO HQ UNESCO Jakarta Office
s.mccabe@unesco.org mk.lim@unesco.org

<sub>Date: Dili, 30 April 2017

Dear Sir, Madam</sub>

World Press Freedom Day, May 1, 207, Dili, Timor-Leste.

From 1 to 4 May 2017, UNESCO will hold its principal celebration of World Press Freedom Day in Jakarta, in collaboration with the Government of the Republic of Indonesia and the Indonesian Press Council.

We, members of Timor-Leste independent media, human rights defenders and members of the Timor Papua Connection (TiPaCo) hereby appeal to you, hoping for our consideration.

As the World Press Freedom Day International Conference discusses how free and quality media are needed, we encourage you to emphasize free access and safety for journalists all around INDONESIA, specifcally in West Papua.

As Timorese people, we deeply understand the necessity of quality, independent media to advance public awareness and address social or political injustice. Sadly, we are also too familiar with the consequences when freedom of the press is restricted.

Please do not forget that we in Timor-Leste are still waiting for Indonesia's accountability for the killings of the Balibo 5 and Roger East in 1975, as well as of Agus Muliawan and Sander Thoenes in 1999. Despite witness reports and factual evidence, no perpetrators have yet been brought to trial for murdering these journalists.

Indonesia's 1945 Constitution and 1982 Press Law provide for freedom of the press. However, despite improvements following the departure of President Suharto in May 1998, the Indonesian government still maintains serious restrictions on journalists.

As Timorese people, we deeply understand the necessity of quality, independent media to advance public awareness and address social or political injustice. Sadly, we are also too familiar with the consequences when freedom of the press is restricted.

Independent journalists in Indonesia risk their lives to report. Press photographers around the country face destruction of equipment, intimidation and assault when they report from the scene. Furthermore, Indonesian authorities regulate access to certain areas of the country.

A major concern is that national and foreign correspondents must apply for special permission to visit West Papua, which is usually denied and seldom granted. Even those who get permission are surveilled, intimidated, harassed and sometimes arrested arbitrarily by security forces.

To underscore our plea, we enclose our visual statement from 29 April at the Avenida da Liberdade de Imprensa (Avenue of the Freedom of the Press) in Dili, Timor-Leste.

Sincerely,

On behalf of all those involved in this statement (see appendix)

Celestino Gusm�o Pereira,
Dili, Timor-Leste

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APPENDIX - WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY 2017
Avenida da Liberdade de Imprensa / Avenue of the Freedom of the Press
Dili, Timor-Leste

Geraldo Belo da Costa Klibur Estudante Progresive/KUP

Cosme da Silva Soares Klibur Estudante Manatuto

Luis Garcia dos Santos Klibur foin Sa’e Tane Timor

Isaias A. Freitas Klibur foin Sa’e Tane Timor

Salvador Araujo Marcal Klibur foin Sa’e Tane Timor

Aida Guterres Castro Pereira Klibur foin Sa’e Tane Timor

Inocência Gonçalves Klibur foin Sa’e Tane Timor

Jachsfin Vivir CLSL

Juvinal Magno Front Mahasiswa Timor-Leste

Miguel da Silva Ornai Front Mahasiswa Timor-Leste

Fivania da C. M Front Mahasiswa Timor-Leste

Candido A. Silva Front Mahasiswa Timor-Leste

Manuel D.C. Mesquita Front Mahasiswa Timor-Leste

Odino Ximenes Front Mahasiswa Timor-Leste

Leticia Alves Front Mahasiswa Timor-Leste

Marta da Silva Front Mahasiswa Timor-Leste/La’o Hamutuk

Charles Scheiner ETAN/La’o Hamutuk

Pamela Sexton East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN)

Endie van Binsbergen Free East Timor Foundation

Adrovaldo L. Nahak Klibur Foinsae Humanitarian

Joel Fernandes Correia Klibur Foinsae Humanitarian

Quim Ribeiro Brites Independent Media

Manuela Pereira Diretora ACbit

Bernardo Beja West Papua Solidarity Portugal

Francisco Carvalho West Papua Solidarity Portugal

Merita Coreia Diretora Alfela

Laura de Jesus Alfela

Faustinho Soares Uniaun Universidatariu Municipiu Baucau

Nelson Miranda Human Rights Activist

Inicencio Xavies AJAT Timor-Leste

Manuel Montero Asosiasaun Hak

José Moniz Aliansi Nasional Timor-Leste untuk Pengadilan Internasional

Luis de Oliveira Sampaio Executive Director Judicial System Monitoring Programme

See also

Human Rights & Justice page

Indonesia and West Papua Struggles  

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Tetun PDF

WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY 2017

Avenida da Liberdade de Imprensa / Avenue of the Freedom of the Press
Dili, Timor-Leste

Contact in Dili: maubere81@gmail.com / TiPaCo International: lian.liberdade@gmail.com

Ba: Saorla McCabe Ming Kuok Lim
UNESCO HQ UNESCO Jakarta Office
s.mccabe@unesco.org mk.lim@unesco.org

Data: Dili, 30 Abril 2017

Tabe Señor, Señora

Husi loron 1 to’o loron 4 fulan-maiu tinan 2017, UNESCO sei hala’o ninia selebrasaun prinsipál ba Loron Mundiál Liberdade Imprensa nian iha Jakarta, kolabora ho Governu Repúblika Indonézia no Konsellu Imprensa Indonézia.

Ami, membru husi mídia independente Timor-Leste, defensór direitus umanus no membru husi Timor Papua Connection (TiPaCo), ho karta ida ne’e, husu no espera ba Ita-Boot sira nia konsiderasaun.

Hanesan Konferénsia Internasionál Loron Mundiál Liberdade Imprensa nian, atu diskute nesesidade ba média ne’ebé livre ho kualidade, ami enkoraja imi atu enfatiza asesu livre no seguransa ba jornalista sira iha parte tomak iha INDONÉZIA, liuliu iha Papua Osidentál.

Nu’udar ema timoroan, ami komprende kle’an nesesidade ba mídia ne’ebé independente no ho kualidade hodi haforsa konxiénsia públiku no responde ba injustisa sosiál no polítika. Tristemente, ami mós komprende tebes saida mak konsekuénsia bainhira liberdade Imprensa limitadu.

Favór keta haluha katak ami iha Timor-Leste sei hein akontabilidade ba asasinatu sira hanesan Balibo 5 no Roger East iha 1975, no mós Agus Muliawan no Sander Thoenes iha 1999. Maski iha testimóniu diretu no evidénsia faktuál, seidauk iha ema ida bá tribunál nu’udar autór ba jornalista sira-ne’ebe nia oho.

Konstituisaun Indonézia 1945 no Lei Imprensa 1982 defende liberdade Imprensa. Maibé, maski iha progresu balu dezde tempu Prezidente Suharto sai iha fulan-maiu 1998, governu indonézia sei tau limitasaun sériu ba jornalista sira.

Jornalista independente sira iha Indonézia hetan ameasa barak atu hala’o sira-nia kobertura. Bainhira fotógrafu-na’in mídia nian to’o fatin eventu ruma, sira hasoru intimidasaun, asaltu no autoridade seguransa hetan estraga sira-nia ekipamentu. Alende ne’e, autoridade indonézia kontrola asesu ba área espesífiku iha nasaun.

Preokupasaun boot mak jornalista nasionál no husi rai-li’ur tenke aplika ba lisensa espesiál atu vizita Papua Osidentál, no dala barak sira la hetan lisensa ne’e. No sira ne’ebé hetan lisensa mós, tenke aguenta ho hafuhu, intimidasaun, persegisaun no dala ruma forsa seguransa kaer sira arbiru.

Hodi enfatiza ami-nia pedidu, ami inklui foto ho ami-nia deklarasaun husi dia 29 Abril iha Avenida da Liberdade de Imprensa iha Dili, Timor-Leste.

Ho respeitu

Celestino Gusmão Pereira
Reprezentante Suporta ba karta ida ne’e (Haree lista suporta iha aneksu)