The International

Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate, the Alliance of

Independent Journalists (AJI), in demanding that Indonesian authorities immediately

arrest the known suspects in the killing of journalist Ridwan Salamun in Tual, in

the Maluku Islands, on August 21.

Ridwan, a new contributor for SUN TV, was reporting

on a clash between residents of Banda Eli and Mangun in Tual, Southeast Maluku,

when he was assaulted by members of one of the groups, news reports said.

Ridwan was taken to hospital with machete injuries to his

neck and back, but died two hours later. His camera is still missing.

“The IFJ has learned that local police in Tual are reportedly

aware of who is responsible for the senseless and brutal killing of Ridwan

Salamun, but have not taken steps to arrest them,” IFJ Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park said.

“This is disgraceful. The IFJ calls on law enforcement

agencies to reverse Indonesia’s

culture of impunity and immediately arrest the alleged perpetrators of this

horrific crime.”

Demonstrations of solidarity were held by journalists in

Denpasar, Bali and in Jakarta

to protest the killing of Ridwan.

The IFJ joins AJI in calling for all media companies in Indonesia

to enact measures to protect journalists on the job by providing them with

best-practice safety training and insurance in order to minimise the inherent

risks for reporter covering conflicts and other violent incidents.

For further information contact IFJ

Asia-Pacific on +612 9333 0919

The IFJ represents more than 600,000 journalists in 125

countries

Find the IFJ on Twitter: @ifjasiapacific