The number of incidents of violence against media workers in Indonesia has risen sharply over the past decade, an analyst has found.

“The existing press law has failed to protect media workers, resulting in increased violence,” Sabam Leo Batubara, a former official of the Association of Indonesian Journalists told ucanews.com on Aug. 25 in Jakarta.

The Alliance of Independent Journalists lists 643 cases of violence on media workers from 1999 until 2009. Of these cases, over 40 percent were committed by governmental officials, legislators and security personnel, and the rest by the public.

This month, a television journalist died in South Maluku, eastern Indonesia, after he was severely injured while recording a clash between local residents. Last month, another journalist was killed in Merauke district in Papua, eastern Indonesia.

Article 8 of the 1999 Press Law stipulates that a journalist doing his/her job is protected by law.

Article 18 adds that whoever consciously acts against the law and prevents the national press from seeking and publishing information is liable for from two to nine years imprisonment or a fine of up to 500 million rupiahs (US$55,000).

“The articles do protect media workers but it seems that law enforcement is lacking. In fact, media workers still face violence,” Batubara said.

The situation worsened after the government approved five new laws relating to publications in 2008.

The new laws even “treat media workers as enemies,” the Catholic layman warned, “since they may be sentenced to up to six-years imprisonment or be fined billions of rupiah if they insult a person.”

Media workers who seek justice and truth for the sake of the community risk facing resistance from the state, he added.

Moreover, none of the earlier violence cases against media workers have been resolved.

“Is this the result of ignorance about freedom of the press?” Batubara asked.

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