JAKARTA: The Indonesian government on Monday (Sep 29) restored the palace press accreditation of a CNN Indonesia journalist after its revocation was criticised for undermining press freedom.
The presidential palace also apologised for the incident that took place on Saturday, in which CNN Indonesia’s Diana Valencia lost her accreditation for asking President Prabowo Subianto a question about the government’s free-meals programme.
News of Diana’s accreditation being revoked spread after she posted a farewell message in a WhatsApp group for palace reporters, saying her card had been taken by the Presidential Secretariat’s Bureau of Press, Media and Information (BPMI).
Officials reportedly cited her “out-of-context” question to Prabowo during a doorstop interview at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base. The president had returned from a four-country trip where he spoke at the United Nations General Assembly in New York and visited Japan, Canada and the Netherlands.
A video released by BPMI showed the session beginning warmly, with Prabowo smiling as he described the results of his trip that ranged from investment opportunities to the return of historical artefacts from the Netherlands.
As he waved to end the session and turned to walk away, Diana called out: “On the free nutritious meals (programme), is there any special instruction, Mr President?”
Prabowo turned back and replied that he would summon the head of the National Nutrition Agency, Dadan Hindayana, to address the issue.
The free-meals programme for children and expectant women has been hit by a series of food poisoning outbreaks since its rollout in January.
In recent weeks, more than a thousand students have fallen ill after eating the meals provided, prompting calls by health groups and education watchdogs for the programme to be suspended to allow for a fuller evaluation.
On Saturday evening, a BPMI officer arrived at CNN Indonesia’s newsroom in South Jakarta to collect Diana’s palace press card.
CNN Indonesia’s editor-in-chief, Titin Rosmasari, confirmed the incident, saying the revocation was carried out at 7.15pm.
In a written statement reported by CNN Indonesia on Sunday, Titin said she was shocked by the move and questioned its basis. The broadcaster also submitted official letters to the BPMI and State Secretary seeking clarification.
State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi on Sunday pledged to find the “best solution” to the controversy. He told media outlets that President Prabowo Subianto had not given any special attention to the matter, as it was sufficient for Prasetyo to handle it personally.
PRESS ORGANISATIONS CONDEMNED REVOCATION
Diana’s press credential was reinstated after a meeting on Monday between CNN Indonesia and the BPMI at the palace.
“The Istana ID has now been returned to the journalist concerned. It was handed directly to Ms Diana, witnessed by her editor-in-chief, Ms Titin. We also want to ensure that such an incident will not happen again,” said Yusuf Permana, BPMI’s Deputy for Protocol, Press, and Media Affairs.
“Everything has been resolved today. This ID means Diana is guaranteed to be able to carry out her duties as before,” said Titin.
The reinstatement came after various groups condemned the revocation of Diana’s press pass.
Chairman of Indonesian Press Council Komaruddin Hidayat confirmed his office had received a complaint and urged BPMI to explain the decision.
“The Palace Press Bureau should provide an explanation about the revocation of CNN Indonesia’s ID card so as not to hinder journalistic duties at the palace,” he said, as quoted by news outlet Kompas.
He reiterated the role of the press, as mandated under the 1999 Press Law, must be respected.
The Indonesian Television Journalists Association Chairman Herik Kurniawan regretted the incident, saying Diana’s question was in line with journalistic ethics and public interest.
The Jakarta chapter of the Alliance of Independent Journalists, together with the Legal Aid Institute for the Press, also condemned the move, calling it “an attack on the public’s right to information”.
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