Covering The Fire At Manokwari Market, A Journalist Was Beaten And IDR 15 Million Missing

MANOKWARI - Secretary of the Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) for West Papua Province, Mathias Renyaan, was the victim of a beating by a group of unidentified people while covering a fire at the Wosi Market complex, Manokwari Regency, on Tuesday at around 03.00 WIT.

"The PWI secretary was taking pictures, when suddenly unknown people attacked the scene of the fire," said West Papua PWI chairman Bustam quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, June 6.

The beating, he said, resulted in the victim's body suffering from bruises on the head and back.

In addition, the victim's mobile phone and bag containing Rp. 15 million were missing and taken by the perpetrators of the beating.

The case was immediately reported to the Manokwari Police Integrated Service Center (SPKT).

"I and the victim (Mathias) have received a post-mortem examination, and we will make a police report," explained Bustam.

He deeply regretted the incidents of violence that befell journalists when carrying out their reporting duties in the field.

The incident threatened press freedom and contradicted Law Number 40 of 1999 concerning the Press.

"The beating of journalists is very unfortunate. If people want to know their identities, they can ask. Not taking the law into their own hands," Bustam regretted.

He explained that the beating case was finally broken up by the firefighters after seeing the press card that Mathias was wearing.

Bustam then appealed to all journalists to be more careful when covering events such as fires or others.

He hopes that the police will quickly find the perpetrators of the beating of Mathias, an online media journalist in Manokwari.

"We hope the police can catch the perpetrators as soon as possible," said Bustam.