Jayapura, Jubi – “Conflict should not be equated with violence. A conflict occurs when there are differences in needs or interests, whether it was in small or large scales. The conflict management conflict will allow us to find the solution,” said a resource person of Papua Openness for Foreign Journalist Seminar, Jimmy Deminianus Ijie at Grand Abe Hotel, Jayapura City on Tuesday (06/10/2015).
“When the president opened the access for foreign journalist in Papua just like other provinces in Indonesia. The decision was not apart of the awareness to build mutual trust that should be started from the openness. Peace can not be existed if all parties are still infected by mutual suspicion,” he said.
According to him, the opening access for foreign journalist has doubted the electivity to close the access for mass media in today’s sophisticated multimedia.
“The president’s policy is right, because prohibiting the foreign journalist to come to Papua would raise an impression that the government cover the current issues occurred in Papua,” he said.
In mid of May 2015 when visiting Papua, the President Jokowi said he will open free access to foreign journalist to do coverage in Papua. On that occasion, the president explained it’s important to think positive in building a trust that has been missing for long time.
Earlier, the Chairman of AJI Kota Jayapura, Victor Mambor, said it’s important to open access to foreign journalist to Papua to avoid misinterpretation about Papua. Mambor gave this statement in the interview with AJI Indonesia in Jakarta in the World Press Freedom Day 2015 some times ago. He explained currently media in Papua is still growing, as well as its challenges, such as human resources, ethic to journalist positioning. In Papua, as the media is growing, the number of journalist is also increased.
“But those who are professional in skill and ethic could be said not growing in parallel. About the challenges, there’s no significant different. Journalist is still facing the terror of violence similar with what had happened in the early years,” he said. (Roy Ratumakin/rom)
