West Papua: French journalist arrested

1) Journalists Origin France “secured” in Papua Police
2) Indonesian authorities arrest French journalist in West Papua in the company of separatists
3) Papua Police: French Journalist, Three Separatists Arrested
4) Papua Police Arrest French Journalist, Separatists
5) French journalist interrogated by police in Papua

——————————————————————–
A google translate of article in suarapapua.com. Be-aware google translate can be a bit erratic.
Original bahasda link at
http://suarapapua.com/read/2014/08/07/1597/jurnalis-asal-perancis-“diamankan”-di-polda-papua-
1) Journalists Origin France “secured” in Papua Police
By: Oktovianus Pogau | Thursday, August 7, 2014 – 9:06 pm | Viewed: 518 times

Journalists Origin France “secured” in Papua Police
Two French TV journalist arrested in Jayapura in 2010 (Photo: Ist)
PAPUAN, Jayapura – Police (Police) of Papua, on Thursday (06/8/2014) night, securing a French journalist, Thomas Charles (40), who allegedly was to cover what Jayawijaya, Papua Province.
Wamena police chief, Chief. Adolof Beay when confirmed suarapapua.com, from Jayapura, this afternoon, confirmed the information.

“He’s on a tourist visa, but it does work, so we secured him. Initially admitted as a tourist, but later admitted also as a journalist, “said Chief of Police.

Further police chief, reporter in question has now secured in the Papua Regional Police Headquarters, and was asked for information related to its activities in Papua.

“It could immediately ask the Papua Police. Because the question already secured in Jayapura since noon, “he said.

According to the police chief, the police secure the concerned while riding a motorcycle with the local community.

“We’ve watched since the beginning, and was arrested while riding a motorcycle with the local community,” said Chief of Police.

Just a note, any journalist who wants to cover what Papua should get permission from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Oktovianus POGAU

————————————————————————————————-
http://www.smh.com.au/world/indonesian-authorities-arrest-french-journalist-in-west-papua-in-the-company-of-separatists-20140808-101pum.html
2) Indonesian authorities arrest French journalist in West Papua in the company of separatists
Date
August 8, 2014 – 3:12AM\
Michael Bachelard
INDONESIA CORRESPONDENT FOR FAIRFAX MEDIA
View more articles from Michael Bachelard
Follow Michael on Twitter Follow Michael on Google+ Email Michael

This file photo shows a West Papuan separatist carrying the banned Morning Star flag as he walks past a line of Indonesian riot police officers surrounding a pro-independence celebration in Jayapura, Irian Jaya. Photo: AP
A western journalist has been arrested and jailed in West Papua, underlining the tough approach that Indonesian authorities still take to media scrutiny in the restive region.
The police chief of the Lany Jaya area, senior commissioner Adolf Beyage, confirmed to Fairfax Media that his officers had detained Thomas Charles Tendeis, who he said was a French journalist.
“He was using a tourist visa but in fact he was doing journalistic work,” Mr Lanny said.
The Papuan police spokesman, Senior Commissioner Sulistyo Pudjo, later said Mr Tendeis, 40, was arrested on Wednesday in the company of three members of separatist organisations.

“We’ll work out which laws should be used to charge [the suspects] — the Press Law, the Criminal Code, the Immigration Law or something else.”“We were worried that his activities here were part of an effort to destabilise Papua,” Mr Pudjo said.
Western reporters wanting to work in Indonesia must have a journalists’ visa, but to work in the Papua and West Papua provinces they must gain another, hard-to-get permission form signed off by the gamut of Indonesian government authorities, including police and military.
Indonesia is highly sensitive about the state of the poverty-stricken Papua and West Papua provinces, which have hosted a long-running but low-level separatist insurgency, as well as intractable poverty, social and environmental issues.
Police often argue that journalists are denied permission to enter for their own security.
Comment has been sought from the French embassy.
———————————————————————————————————-
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/papua-police-french-journalist-three-separatists-arrested/
Jayapura. Papua Police say they have arrested three members of the Free Papua Organization (OPM) and a French journalist in their company on Wednesday.
“A foreign journalist, from France, was arrested in Wamena on Wednesday,” Papua Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Pudjo Sulistyo said on Thursday. “He came to Papua as a tourist but was carrying out illegal reporting activities.”
The Frenchman was identified by police as 40-year-old Thomas Charles Tendeis. He was arrested in Lany Jaya district along with the three suspected separatists, identified as L.K., D.D. and J.W. Their separatist group was supposedly led by Enden Wanimbo.
“We’re worried that his [Tendeis] activities here were part of an effort to destabilize Papua,” Pudjo said, adding that police knew Tendeis had contacted Enden and Puron Wenda, another separatist leader.
The Indonesian government does not allow foreign journalists to carry out reporting duties in Papua, the scene of a decades-long, low-level insurgency.
“We will study the laws which will be used to charge [the suspects], whether it’s the Press Law, the Criminal Code, the Immigration Law or something else,” Pudjo said.
He added that the Frenchman was on his way to Puncak Jaya from Wamena at the time of his arrest.
———————————————————————————————-
http://en.tempo.co/read/news/2014/08/08/055598048/Papua-Police-Arrest-French-Journalist-Separatists
FRIDAY, 08 AUGUST, 2014 | 00:48 WIB
4) Papua Police Arrest French Journalist, Separatists
Zoom Out Zoom In Normal
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – French journalist Tendeis Charles Thomas, 40, was arrested by the Jayawijaya Police in Wamena, Papua, on Thursday morning, August 7. Tendeis was captured along with three suspected separatists, whose group is supposedly led by Puron Wenda and Enden Wanimbo. Wenda and Wanimbo have long been suspected as gunmen operating in Papua’s highlands.
“Tendeis was arrested at Hotel Mas Budi, Wamena, Jayawijaya, with three of Enden Wanimbo and Wenda Puron’s men,” Papua Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Pudjo Sulistyo told reporters on Thursday.
The three separatist suspects, 24 years old JW, LK (17), and DD (27), said Pudjo, came from Lanny Jaya district.
Pudjo said Tendeis violated his visa permit as written in his passport. “His visa stated that his visit to Wamena was as a tourist visa, but was carrying out illegal reporting activities.”
“Until now, both foreign and NGO journalists are still banned by the central government from doing report or research activities in Papua,” said Pudjo, who said he fears that these activities are engineered to create chaos.
Pudjo said the Frenchman and the three separatist suspects will be taken to Jayapura on Friday morning for further investigation.
“We are still mulling on what laws will be used to charge the suspects, whether it’s the Press Law, the Criminal Code, the Immigration Law or something else,” Pudjo said.
CUNDING LEVI
———————————————————————————————-
http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/95213/french-journalist-interrogated-by-police-in-papua
5) French journalist interrogated by police in Papua
Kamis, 7 Agustus 2014 22:55 WIB | 315 Views
Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA News) – A French journalist had been interrogated by police in Papua after conducting a journalistic work without permit in a sensitive area where shooting incidents had recently occurred.

Charles Thomas Tendeis (40) was interrogated at the regional police command headquarters in Jayapura on Thursday after he was caught covering a shooting incident-prone area.

“He has been detained at the Regional Police Command Headquarters for interrogation, but where it will lead to is up to the police,” Jayawijaya police resort chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Adolf Beay said when asked for his confirmation about the incident.

He said the French journalist was arrested in an area in Wamena in the district of Jayawijaya on Wednesday night while riding on a motorcycle with a local resident.

“Initially, he claimed he was a tourist, but after further questioning he finally admitted that he was a journalist. He, meanwhile, has a tourist visa,” he said.

Papua regional police command spokesman Senior Commissioner Sulistyo Pudjo, meanwhile, declined to explain the case in detail when asked for his confirmation on the issue on a separate occasion.

However, he confirmed that the French journalist had been detained by the police.

“That is true. He is believed to have tried to contact a criminal armed group there,” he added.(*)

Jo Collins and Anne Noonan, Australia West Papua Association (Sydney)