14 Jun 2010

Police chief in Papua attacks media for painting a bleak picture

7:36 pm on 14 June 2010

The chief editor of an independent newspaper in Indonesia's Papua region has denied a claim by Papua's police commander that journalists covering regional stories focus only on negative security issues.

Bekto Suprapto has criticised journalists for their reporting on shootings and incidents of tribal conflict.

Victor Mambor of the weekly, Tabloid Jubi, says the criticism is disappointing.

"But I think the journalists not only publish the negative situation in West Papua. we also publish the positive situation in West Papua, the progress of development."

Victor Mambor and other members of the Alliance of Independent Journalists Papua, or AJI, met at the weekend with Mr Suprapto to discuss his claim.

The AJI calls it baseless, insisting local journalists are reporting facts accurately in the heavily-militarised region.

The police chief says some media portray a false image of Papua as unsafe.