Asia-Pacific Network: 16 February 1999
MEDIA: ANTARA PROPAGANDA AND LINKS
A "deported journalist", who is actually a non-government organisation researcher, describes his East Timor experience and highlights the "laughable" reporting of the Indonesian news agency Antara.
By ROB WESLEY-SMITH
I MENTIONED once before in relation to Antara reporting of what Xanana
allegedly said as to how unreliable Antara has proved to be in objective
and accurate reporting, it prefers to be an apologist and mouthpiece
for the Indonesian government. This was obvious to me from the 1976-8
period where we tried to get media cover of reports from Radio Maubere,
which in retrospect stand up well, but were usually ignored in favour of
Antara propaganda that all was hunkydory (OK) in East Timor as a
genocide raged.
I'm not sure if it is changing at all since Suharto left, but the
evidence of its unreliability has continued to be obvious recently.
(Actually I think much Indonesian media has to learn to be genuinely
investigative and accurate rather than fill programs with cover.)
For example, the reporting of my deportation from East Timor and
Indonesia has been laughable. This reporting also proves the lies and
totally fanciful statements which Indonesian military authorities make
when it suits them, which is probably most of the time. In case anyone
is in any doubt, I am only one person, and I am not a professional
journalist, and I had but a few minutes of "freedom", mostly in a taxi,
on my first visit to East Timor in February. (The most funny appended)
A report posted 15 Feb 1999 GLW quotes Andrew McNaughtan making the
point that with the recent wave of foreign journalists in Dili the
threatening presence of military in trucks in the streets has
diminished, once again validating our belief that the presence of
reporters and foreign observers acts as a protection for East Timorese.
All the more reason then, and rather than rely on sub-standard and
biased reports from Antara, media groups should station their own reps
in Dili for a while. It is ludicrous to expect one journo in Jakarta to
cover the whole of Indonesia, and do justice to East Timor in this
critical period, not to forget West Papua, which usually is forgotten.
[The Australian ABC "Foreign Correspondent" program had an excellent
piece last Tuesday 9th February on the massacre in Biak which took
place just after Habibie became interim president. The program
presented compelling evidence that up to 150 people were massacred as
they sang a hymn and linked arms around the water tower upon which flew
the West Papuan liberation flag, and in the immediate aftermath where
people were raped and killed on the wharf and at sea.
This was
described as West Papua's "Dili Massacre". I remember governments and
many commentators doubting such claims when they happened. (Contact
foreign@your.abc.net.au or the ABC at GPO Box 9994 Sydney NSW or any Australian capital city).]
This is why it is dangerous for Lusa to team up with Antara too much.
Now it seems AFP, which we have learned to rely on, is using Antara as
a source, and thus its reporting is less reliable, not a good thing.
I'll post two recent examples. Various people are present or could be
to do better reporting, eg I'll append the ABC report of the killing in
Dili which I posted yesterday.
One killed in East Timor shooting incident
JAKARTA, Feb 14 (AFP) - A 25-year-old member of a neighbourhood
security patrol was shot dead by youths in a district near the East
Timorese capital of Dili Sunday, the state Antara news agency said.
Antara quoted Bairropite district chief Eduardo de Carvalho as saying
Bendito Bernardo Pirres was found shot dead at around 2.00 pm.
It said the circumstances surrounding the incident appeared confused
and the body of the young man had been left where it was found. ...
cf ABC report: (posted 15 Feb 99)
Police sniper
Going against the talk of peace, witnesses in the East Timor capital,
Dili, say the fatal shooting of a man on Sunday was the work of an
Indonesian police sniper.
The trouble started early on Sunday afternoon with the arrival of six
armed men from the pro-Indonesian paramilitary group Mahidin, in
the Dili suburb of Baropetay.
Within minutes, they started shooting above the heads of startled
residents, who began to attack the group with rocks and fists.
The six fled in their vehicle in the direction of the police
headquarters and were pursued by the angry crowd.
Almost immediately, 10 police moved out of the compound and
began firing over the heads of the crowd.
It was then that according to the witnesses, who lived nearby, an
Indonesian policeman with a telescopic sight took aim and fired the
two shots that killed 25-year-old Bendino Fortunado Perez.
He was hit in the head and chest and died within minutes.
[this report emanated from John Martinkus]
Example 2 of AFP using Antara:
JAKARTA, Feb 14 (AFP) - Indonesia will allow a "reasonable period of
transition" if the people of East Timor opt for independence, a close
adviser to President B.J. Habibie was quoted Sunday as saying.
"We don't want to be accused of being as irresponsible as Portugal which
left East Timor in the lurch years ago," Indonesia's state Antara news
agency quoted Dewi Fortuna Anwar as saying.
Anwar, speaking in an interview with Antara in the Australian capital
Canberra, said she had conveyed that message to Australian Foreign
Minister Alexander Downer on Thursday.
"Downer seemed rather surprised by the Indonesian decision and the
latest statement (by Habibie)," Anwar said refering to Habibie's
statement last week that he would like to see the East Timor issue
settled by January 2000 when a new government takes office in Jakarta.
If it was up to the government, Indonesia would grant the former
Portuguese colony independence, Habibie said.
Anwar said Canberra seemed "afraid East Timor will be a new burden on
Australia which is already having to assist Papua New Guinea."
To Indonesia, letting East Timor go would be the "better alternative"
because Jakarta would be relieved of a burden. Moreover the Cold War
that had caused East Timor to "integrate with Indonesia" was now over,
Antara quoted her as saying. ...
[Actually in this case I admit we may well have learned something
important: is this the first time a senior Indonesian spokesperson has
admitted that 'Moreover the Cold War that had caused East Timor to
"integrate with Indonesia" was now over', which is a clear implication
of admission of invasion, or at the least that the fear of 'communism'
forced a takeover.]
Example: Posted 8 Feb 1999
Notes on facts of deportation of Rob Wesley-Smith from East Timor,
(by himself), written for his MUM, and others interested
I am grateful for the reporting by Sonny, Jude and the abc, see later,
and by Antara which is the cause of much amusement, but a concern that
Lusa may, as previously warned, be dragged down to Antara's
pro-government error-ridden propaganda. ...
(a) Two Australian journalists deported from Indonesia
05:31 a.m. Feb 05, 1999 Eastern
JAKARTA, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Indonesian authorities have
deported two Australian journalists from East Timor for
"non-journalistic duties," the official Antara
newsagency reported on Friday.
"Both Australian journalists had exceeded their capacity
as journalists," Antara quoted provincial military commander
Colonel Tono Suratman as saying.
"The two journalists had to be deported to Kupang (West Timor)
last night because they performed non-journalistic duties."
He gave no further details.
The Australian embassy in Jakarta was unaware of the incident,
a spokesman told Reuters.
Indonesia previously required all foreign journalists to seek
special permission to travel to the former Portuguese colony
it invaded in 1975.
But restrictions were eased after the fall of former President
Suharto and the country's shift towards openness.
(b) Friday, Februari 5, 1999
Deportation: TWO AUSTRALIAN JOURNALISTS DEPORTED
NATIONAL NEWS
Dili, E Timor, Feb 5 (ANTARA) - East Timor provincial military
commander, Col. Tono Suratman, said that two Australian journalists,
one of whom was Gross Mell Smith, was deported.
"Based on the existing report, both Australian journalists in
performing their journalistic duties in East Timor had exceeded their
capacity, so that they had to be deported last night to Kupang," he
told the press here Friday.
He further said that their journalistic performance had deviated very
far. They not only did not perform journalistic duties, but also
matters, which were beyond their capacity. Their actions tended to
create unfavourable impact for the people in that area.
To avoid undesired consequences, particularly in facing the present
situation in East Timor, the immigration office in Dili took stern
action.
The decision to deport them was made after holding meetings and careful
making careful consideration." The apparatus did not hastily deport
them," he stressed.
Moreover, Suratman disclosed that the actions taken by both Australian
journalists for several days in Dili was also taken several months ago,
therefore they were actually put on the 'black list'. (The Indonesian
Immigration 'black list' bars non-Indonesians from returning to the
country for at least one year, or longer).
The same action was taken in revisiting East Timor in connection with
the statement of Foreign Minister Ali Alats on the second option.
The statement of the government invited local and foreign journalists
to Dili to observe "the reaction" from the East Timorese people .
While foreign journalists were interviewing pro referendum and pro
integration leaders, both Australian journalists peformed other
activities, which did not have anything to do with journalistic duties.
"The two Australian journalists had to be deported, because they
performed non-journalistic duties," Suratman said.
(U.DLI-001/KK/14:05/TaA/ri3/ 5/02/99 15:55).
* * *
I rest my case
Example 1. AFP: One killed in East Timor shooting incident
Mon, 15 Feb 1999
"John M. Miller"
AFP :Indon to allow "reasonable" transition time for E. Timor: adviser
Mon, 15 Feb 1999
"John M. Miller"
east-timor@igc.apc.org
Modified Time: Friday, Februari 5, 1999 16:00:51 +0700
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