Words Fail Me
Sep. 14th, 2006 04:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
waitingmanA Today Tonight film crew, including the programme's host, Naomi Robson, have been arrested & detained for illegal filming in West Papua. But not for the story you would hope...
Headhunter Robson boned by Indonesia
Channel Seven's Naomi Robson and her Today Tonight film crew are returning to Australia, gagged by the Indonesian Government and ordered out of the country for violating visa conditions.
"I can confirm that they have been told to leave by the Indonesian government,'' Indonesian foreign affairs department spokesman Desra Percaya said.
"We have evidence that they were conducting journalistic activities, which is in contravention of the specific purpose that has been given for the visa on arrival.''
Mr Percaya said the five would leave on the next available flight from the Papuan provincial capital Jayapura.
A member of the crew said from their hotel in the West Papuan capital Jayapura that they were flying out of Indonesia this morning and had been advised not to speak publicly about the circumstances of their departure until they were out of the country.
The crew is believed to have travelled to the province - the source of diplomatic tensions between Indonesia and Australia over asylum seekers - to work on a story about cannibals.
"We couldn't get permission to do the story," the crew member said. "We did actually seek to get permission to do the story from the government and they said 'No, and we actually don't want you here either'.
"We had a short holiday in Bali then we flew into this area, sought permission to do the story and they said 'no, and on your current visas, you must leave now'."
Seven news and current affairs chief Peter Meakin declined to comment on reports the crew was chasing a story about cannibals, but said they went to Papua "with the best possible motivation".
"We can talk about errors I think at a later date, but as you know it's fairly common procedure to get into situations to use tourist visas and operate on them," he told Southern Cross Broadcasting.
"Yes, it's a short cut and on this occasion it was done with the best possible motivation.
"If you ask for the official permission sometimes all you get is the door slammed in your face.'"
Asked if the crew was going to film a "cannibal boy," Mr Meakin said he did not want to jeopardise the story.
"I'm being really tight-lipped here ... for a number of reasons, we're still on the ground there and I don't want to do anything that jeopardises us journalistically or politically," he said.
Mr Meakin said he had spoken to Robson a couple of times in the last 12 hours.
"She seems fine but clearly it's a pretty tense situation," he said.
He did not know when Robson and the crew would return to Australia, but suspected it would be as soon as possible, "because I don't think they're welcome there anymore".
"The Indonesians are being very decent at the moment and they're handling the situation in a quite mature manner and I don't want to do anything to inflame them," he said.
Mr Meakin said Robson and her colleagues had entered Papua and were "intercepted" later.
He denied the story was an attempt to boost Today Tonight's credibility.
"It was an attempt to get a good story," he told ABC radio. "We don't decide what stories to do on the basis of journalistic credibility."
Local police said the Today Tonight crew had intended to stay only three days, and had told officers they planned "cultural" coverage.
Earlier, a Channel Seven spokesman said the Today Tonight host was doing well despite the ordeal.
"She's fine. I think reports of her detention are grossly exaggerated.''
Robson and her colleagues are staying at one of Jayapura's best hotels, the three-star Sentani Indah.
Staff at the hotel said they had paid for three days and had been planning to leave today, but had been taken back to the police station and were now believed to be staying another night.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed that the Australian embassy was providing the crew with assistance.
This morning, a DFAT spokesman said the crew was "discussing internal travel with Indonesian authorities".
A DFAT spokesman said the five had been questioned, not detained.
"The Indonesian Government has questioned them about the visas they used to enter the country. (It) has released a statement advising that the five entered Australia on tourist visas but had been working as journalists.
"We now understand that the journalists have decided to leave Papua as soon as possible."
The crew member, who would not provide his name, said reports they spent last night in a jail cell were incorrect.
Head of Indonesia's Foreign Ministry Imron Cotan said the five would be taken back to Denpasar in Bali and then deported. He said they had violated Indonesian immigration and visa laws.
"They claimed to be tourists, but they brought equipment for journalistic purposes and were carrying out journalism," he said.
Journalists could cover Papua, but had to go through proper channels, Mr Cotan said. Police had been monitoring the team in Papua and determined they were producing a television program.
Indonesia remains sensitive about reporting on and access to Papua and has repeatedly warned that journalists there illegally face arrest.
With a heavy police, intelligence and military presence in Papua it is highly unlikely a five-person television crew could have operated without attracting the attention of authorities.
Indonesian Foreign Affairs spokesman Desra Percaya said that, as well as being deported, the five could be fined or banned from returning to the country. "There is no decision on that yet," he said.
Asked on ABC Radio this morning if the Federal Government was taking any steps to assist the Today Tonight team, Prime Minister John Howard said: "Not especially, that I'm aware of."
Asked if the incident could renew diplomatic tensions between the two countries, Mr Howard said he "would be amazed if it did".
Greens leader Senator Bob Brown lauded Today Tonight for their efforts to bring media coverage to Papua.
"I don't know what their motivation is, and we will have to wait to find out about that, but I do know that as far back as in 1979 I was refused a visa to go to Papua to climb a mountain," Senator Brown said.
"Nothing has changed and it's very difficult to get in there and let's be frank about this, there is repression of media coverage of what's happening in Papua.
"And so if people are trying to get some news about Papua and the plight of the Papuan people back to the rest of the world then good on them."
My favourite quotes...
Asked on ABC Radio this morning if the Federal Government was taking any steps to assist the Today Tonight team, Prime Minister John Howard said: "Not especially, that I'm aware of." (Finally!! Something I'm grateful to the federal government for!!)
Asked if the crew was going to film a "cannibal boy", Mr Meakin said he did not want to jeopardise the story.
"It was an attempt to get a good story," he told ABC radio. "We don't decide what stories to do on the basis of journalistic credibility."
Truer words were never spoken...
Headhunter Robson boned by Indonesia
Channel Seven's Naomi Robson and her Today Tonight film crew are returning to Australia, gagged by the Indonesian Government and ordered out of the country for violating visa conditions.
"I can confirm that they have been told to leave by the Indonesian government,'' Indonesian foreign affairs department spokesman Desra Percaya said.
"We have evidence that they were conducting journalistic activities, which is in contravention of the specific purpose that has been given for the visa on arrival.''
Mr Percaya said the five would leave on the next available flight from the Papuan provincial capital Jayapura.
A member of the crew said from their hotel in the West Papuan capital Jayapura that they were flying out of Indonesia this morning and had been advised not to speak publicly about the circumstances of their departure until they were out of the country.
The crew is believed to have travelled to the province - the source of diplomatic tensions between Indonesia and Australia over asylum seekers - to work on a story about cannibals.
"We couldn't get permission to do the story," the crew member said. "We did actually seek to get permission to do the story from the government and they said 'No, and we actually don't want you here either'.
"We had a short holiday in Bali then we flew into this area, sought permission to do the story and they said 'no, and on your current visas, you must leave now'."
Seven news and current affairs chief Peter Meakin declined to comment on reports the crew was chasing a story about cannibals, but said they went to Papua "with the best possible motivation".
"We can talk about errors I think at a later date, but as you know it's fairly common procedure to get into situations to use tourist visas and operate on them," he told Southern Cross Broadcasting.
"Yes, it's a short cut and on this occasion it was done with the best possible motivation.
"If you ask for the official permission sometimes all you get is the door slammed in your face.'"
Asked if the crew was going to film a "cannibal boy," Mr Meakin said he did not want to jeopardise the story.
"I'm being really tight-lipped here ... for a number of reasons, we're still on the ground there and I don't want to do anything that jeopardises us journalistically or politically," he said.
Mr Meakin said he had spoken to Robson a couple of times in the last 12 hours.
"She seems fine but clearly it's a pretty tense situation," he said.
He did not know when Robson and the crew would return to Australia, but suspected it would be as soon as possible, "because I don't think they're welcome there anymore".
"The Indonesians are being very decent at the moment and they're handling the situation in a quite mature manner and I don't want to do anything to inflame them," he said.
Mr Meakin said Robson and her colleagues had entered Papua and were "intercepted" later.
He denied the story was an attempt to boost Today Tonight's credibility.
"It was an attempt to get a good story," he told ABC radio. "We don't decide what stories to do on the basis of journalistic credibility."
Local police said the Today Tonight crew had intended to stay only three days, and had told officers they planned "cultural" coverage.
Earlier, a Channel Seven spokesman said the Today Tonight host was doing well despite the ordeal.
"She's fine. I think reports of her detention are grossly exaggerated.''
Robson and her colleagues are staying at one of Jayapura's best hotels, the three-star Sentani Indah.
Staff at the hotel said they had paid for three days and had been planning to leave today, but had been taken back to the police station and were now believed to be staying another night.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed that the Australian embassy was providing the crew with assistance.
This morning, a DFAT spokesman said the crew was "discussing internal travel with Indonesian authorities".
A DFAT spokesman said the five had been questioned, not detained.
"The Indonesian Government has questioned them about the visas they used to enter the country. (It) has released a statement advising that the five entered Australia on tourist visas but had been working as journalists.
"We now understand that the journalists have decided to leave Papua as soon as possible."
The crew member, who would not provide his name, said reports they spent last night in a jail cell were incorrect.
Head of Indonesia's Foreign Ministry Imron Cotan said the five would be taken back to Denpasar in Bali and then deported. He said they had violated Indonesian immigration and visa laws.
"They claimed to be tourists, but they brought equipment for journalistic purposes and were carrying out journalism," he said.
Journalists could cover Papua, but had to go through proper channels, Mr Cotan said. Police had been monitoring the team in Papua and determined they were producing a television program.
Indonesia remains sensitive about reporting on and access to Papua and has repeatedly warned that journalists there illegally face arrest.
With a heavy police, intelligence and military presence in Papua it is highly unlikely a five-person television crew could have operated without attracting the attention of authorities.
Indonesian Foreign Affairs spokesman Desra Percaya said that, as well as being deported, the five could be fined or banned from returning to the country. "There is no decision on that yet," he said.
Asked on ABC Radio this morning if the Federal Government was taking any steps to assist the Today Tonight team, Prime Minister John Howard said: "Not especially, that I'm aware of."
Asked if the incident could renew diplomatic tensions between the two countries, Mr Howard said he "would be amazed if it did".
Greens leader Senator Bob Brown lauded Today Tonight for their efforts to bring media coverage to Papua.
"I don't know what their motivation is, and we will have to wait to find out about that, but I do know that as far back as in 1979 I was refused a visa to go to Papua to climb a mountain," Senator Brown said.
"Nothing has changed and it's very difficult to get in there and let's be frank about this, there is repression of media coverage of what's happening in Papua.
"And so if people are trying to get some news about Papua and the plight of the Papuan people back to the rest of the world then good on them."
My favourite quotes...
Asked on ABC Radio this morning if the Federal Government was taking any steps to assist the Today Tonight team, Prime Minister John Howard said: "Not especially, that I'm aware of." (Finally!! Something I'm grateful to the federal government for!!)
Asked if the crew was going to film a "cannibal boy", Mr Meakin said he did not want to jeopardise the story.
"It was an attempt to get a good story," he told ABC radio. "We don't decide what stories to do on the basis of journalistic credibility."
Truer words were never spoken...
