Indonesia’s Restrictions on Media Freedom and Rights Monitoring in Papua The Indonesian government has long restricted visits by foreign correspondents and other international observers to the easternmost provinces of Papua and West Papua. These access restrictions—fueled by government suspicion about the motivations of foreign nationals in a region troubled by widespread public discontent and a small but persistent pro-independence insurgency— have severely limited in-depth media coverage of Papua. Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, announced on May 10, 2015, that the government would immediately lift the restrictions on foreign journalists, but parts of the government are strongly resisting change. HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH | november 2015 SOMETHING TO HIDE? Something to Hide?: Indonesia’s Restrictions on Media Freedom and Rights Monitoring in Papua analyzes the government’s role in obstructing access to Papua and traces developments since Jokowi’s announcement. It is based on more than 107 interviews with journalists, editors, publishers, representatives of domestic and international nongovernmental organizations, and academics. The report also examines how threats to media freedom in Papua extend to Papuan and other Indonesian journalists, who are vulnerable to harassment, intimidation, and violence for reporting on sensitive political topics and human rights abuses. The past experience of foreign journalists, international organizations, and United Nations experts show that barriers to access to Papua are entrenched, with layers of government screening often leaving applicants in bureaucratic limbo or effectively banned. Since Jokowi announced that foreign media restrictions would be lifted, other officials have suggested the opposite, and the situation remains opaque and unpredictable. The report concludes that a genuine opening of Papua needs more sustained and rigorous follow-through by the Jokowi administration, including the issuance of a written Presidential Instruction ensuring access to Papua and more rigorous investigation of threats, harassment, and violence against journalists there. © 2015 Toni Malakian for Human Rights Watch Indonesia | Something to Hide? Cartoonist’s depiction of Indonesian government restrictions on media freedom and rights monitoring in Papua. H U M A N R I G H T S W A T C H hrw.org SOMETHING TO HIDE? Indonesia’s Restrictions on Media Freedom and Rights Monitoring in Papua