The Indonesian government has confirmed two of its journalists were abducted in Iraq as Aljazeera aired video footage purportedly showing them in the hands of an armed group.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Saturday two Indonesian journalists were being held hostage in Iraq, confirming reports after they were declared missing.
"I have just received a reconfirmation that indeed the two Indonesian nationals have been taken hostage in a place in Iraq," Susilo said at the presidential palace in Jakarta.
He appealed for the release of the pair, who Aljazeera earlier said were claimed to have been kidnapped by a previously unknown group, the Jaish al-Mujahidin, or Army of Warriors.
Televised appeal
"I, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, president of the Republic of Indonesia, convey that the two journalists are truly only carrying out their journalistic duties," the president said.
"There is no political involvement. There is no involvement by the two in the conflict," he said.
"Again they are only carrying out their journalistic work and, therefore, I on behalf of the Indonesian people appeal for the release of the two journalists immediately so they can return home to Indonesia.
"Their families are very worried and we, the Indonesian people, also truly want the innocent pair to return home and resume their journalistic duty."
Taken near Ramadi
Earlier, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry in Jakarta said the pair, working for the private Metro TV station, were in a rented car in Ramadi on Tuesday when they were last heard from.
"We are very worried about our staff. Hopefully they are just uncontactable at the moment, but we cannot rule out the fact that they may have been kidnapped," Don Bosco, Metro TV's news director told Aljazeera.net earlier in the week before the video was aired.
Foreign affairs spokesman Marty Natalegawa said in Jarkarta: "We have received information from the owner of a car rented by two journalists from Metro TV that on 15 February their vehicle heading for Ramadi was halted by an armed group.
"We do not want to use the word kidnapped or that they have been held hostage at the moment," he said, adding that the two had been "intercepted".
Indlieb Farazi contributed to this report.
Aljazeera + Agencies
Friday 18 February 2005 8:47 PM GMT
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REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS
The management of the Metro TV, Indonesia's only 24-hour TV news station, continue to be very cautious about the reasons for the disappearance of their two journalists in Iraq, Meutya Hafid and Budiyanto, from whom there has been no word since 15 February.
"It is still not clear what has happened," Metro TV editor-in-chief Don Brosco told Reporters Without Borders. "I don't see how it could be a political abduction as Iraq and Indonesia are two great Muslim countries. It must be a criminal act or a case of mistaken identity."
Brosco said Hafid, aged about 25, is a "very professional and courageous" journalist and presenter. Before going to Iraq, she spent two weeks in Aceh reporting on the aftermath of the 26 December tsunami. Her cameraman, known simply as Budiyanto, is aged about 35 and has a great deal of experience in Iraq, having covered the war since 2003.
The two of them spent two weeks in Irak covering the January legislative elections then withdrew to Amman. Metro TV asked them to return to Irak to cover the festivities in the Shiite city of Kerbala, south of Baghdad. Their last contact with Metro TV in Djakarta was a phone call on 15 February when they were travelling along a highway inside Iraq.
One of Metro TV's owners, Surya Paloh, is to fly to Amman tomorrow with a six-member team to try to retrace their steps and track down people who could help find them.
18.02.2005 -
Concern about two Indonesian journalists said to have been "intercepted"
Reporters Without Borders voiced concern today about the disappearance in Iraq of two Indonesian TV journalists, reporter Meutya Hafid and her cameraman, identified only as Budiyanto. There has been no word of them since midday on 15 February. The two work for Metro TV, Indonesia's only 24-hour television news station.
The press freedom organization said it was extremely worried that the number of journalists going missing in Iraq is on the increase again. "We do not yet know if the two Indonesian journalists have been kidnapped, but we are following the situation closely and we are trying to ensure that all journalists in Iraq can work freely," the organization said.
Reporters Without Borders said Iraq continues to be the world's most dangerous country for journalists, with at least 32 killed and 15 kidnapped since the start of the war in March 2003. "We call on the foreign media that are continuing to cover Iraq to take extreme care," the organization added.
The reports about the disappearance of the two Indonesian journalists are conflicting. Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa said : "We have received information (...) from the owner of a car rented by the two Metro TV journalists indicating that their vehicle, which was heading toward Ramadi, was intercepted by an armed group on 15 February. The car, driver and two journalists have been taken an unknown location. However, I will not use the word abduction yet."
Another witness reportedly said the two journalists were stopped as they were on their way to Baghdad by armed men wearing the uniforms of the Iraqi army. So far no group as claimed responsibility for any abduction.
Hafid and Budiyanto have been in Iraq since 31 January. They rented a car in Amman and were heading towards Baghdad when it was "intercepted." The report of their disappearance comes 44 days after that of French journalist Florence Aubenas and her interpreter Hussein Hanoun Al-Saadi (missing since 5 January) and two weeks after Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena was kidnapped (on 4 February).
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=12601
SEE HTTP://WWW.RSF.ORG/ for what YOU can do to help. Or click on the logo in the sidebar of this blog --->
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Still no word on Indonesian journalists, Metro TV urges caution
REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS
The management of the Metro TV, Indonesia's only 24-hour TV news station, continue to be very cautious about the reasons for the disappearance of their two journalists in Iraq, Meutya Hafid and Budiyanto, from whom there has been no word since 15 February.
"It is still not clear what has happened," Metro TV editor-in-chief Don Brosco told Reporters Without Borders. "I don't see how it could be a political abduction as Iraq and Indonesia are two great Muslim countries. It must be a criminal act or a case of mistaken identity."
Brosco said Hafid, aged about 25, is a "very professional and courageous" journalist and presenter. Before going to Iraq, she spent two weeks in Aceh reporting on the aftermath of the 26 December tsunami. Her cameraman, known simply as Budiyanto, is aged about 35 and has a great deal of experience in Iraq, having covered the war since 2003.
The two of them spent two weeks in Irak covering the January legislative elections then withdrew to Amman. Metro TV asked them to return to Irak to cover the festivities in the Shiite city of Kerbala, south of Baghdad. Their last contact with Metro TV in Djakarta was a phone call on 15 February when they were travelling along a highway inside Iraq.
One of Metro TV's owners, Surya Paloh, is to fly to Amman tomorrow with a six-member team to try to retrace their steps and track down people who could help find them.
18.02.2005 -
Concern about two Indonesian journalists said to have been "intercepted"
Reporters Without Borders voiced concern today about the disappearance in Iraq of two Indonesian TV journalists, reporter Meutya Hafid and her cameraman, identified only as Budiyanto. There has been no word of them since midday on 15 February. The two work for Metro TV, Indonesia's only 24-hour television news station.
The press freedom organization said it was extremely worried that the number of journalists going missing in Iraq is on the increase again. "We do not yet know if the two Indonesian journalists have been kidnapped, but we are following the situation closely and we are trying to ensure that all journalists in Iraq can work freely," the organization said.
Reporters Without Borders said Iraq continues to be the world's most dangerous country for journalists, with at least 32 killed and 15 kidnapped since the start of the war in March 2003. "We call on the foreign media that are continuing to cover Iraq to take extreme care," the organization added.
The reports about the disappearance of the two Indonesian journalists are conflicting. Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa said : "We have received information (...) from the owner of a car rented by the two Metro TV journalists indicating that their vehicle, which was heading toward Ramadi, was intercepted by an armed group on 15 February. The car, driver and two journalists have been taken an unknown location. However, I will not use the word abduction yet."
Another witness reportedly said the two journalists were stopped as they were on their way to Baghdad by armed men wearing the uniforms of the Iraqi army. So far no group as claimed responsibility for any abduction.
Hafid and Budiyanto have been in Iraq since 31 January. They rented a car in Amman and were heading towards Baghdad when it was "intercepted." The report of their disappearance comes 44 days after that of French journalist Florence Aubenas and her interpreter Hussein Hanoun Al-Saadi (missing since 5 January) and two weeks after Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena was kidnapped (on 4 February).
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=12601
SEE HTTP://WWW.RSF.ORG/ for what YOU can do to help. Or click on the logo in the sidebar of this blog --->
.
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