Media Freedom in West Papua: Submission to the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee Inquiry

In June 2019, TAPOL and Jubi made a written submission to the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee. The Commons Select Committee has opened up an inquiry into the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Global Media Freedom. TAPOL and Jubi's submission highlighted the current state of media freedom in West Papua in particular. Over the last 10 years, journalists and news organisations have faced serious threats to their personal security, as well as being targeted by digital disinformation campaigns that aimed to disrupt the work of legitimate news sources and reporting. The death of two local journalists, assaults on multiple others and several cases of international journalists being deported from Indonesia for reporting on or in West Papua underscores the lack of media freedom in West Papua.

To read the full submission please click here (TAPOL and Jubi Written evidence June 2019). The House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee inquiry on FCO and Global Media Freedom is still open.  If you wish to make your own submission, you can do so by following the instructions here (The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Global Media Freedom Inquiry).