STATEMENT OF THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES ALLIANCE OF THE ARCHIPELAGO (AMAN)
“ARRESTING PHILIP JACOBSON IS A THREAT AGAINST PRESS FREEDOM, DEMOCRACY, and HUMAN RIGHTS”
Jakarta – Philip Jacobson, international award-winning editor, who is working for the Mongabay environmental news media was arrested on Monday, January 21, 2020, while he was in Palangkaraya to prepare a report about Indigenous Peasants. Currently, Jacobson is being held at the Palangkaraya Detention Center, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Jacobson (30 years old) has been officially a city prisoner since 17 December 2019.
Mongabay has helped raised our Indigenous “voice’ in Indonesia and throughout the world. In Indonesia, Mongabay is very consistent in uncovering corporate crimes including corruption regarding forest licenses, forest, and land burning by corporations. We presume that the arrest of Jacobson is related to Mongabay reporting on cases of environmental crime and criminalization of Indigenous Peoples.
The arrest of Philip Jacobson while carrying out his journalistic works posed a serious threat upon press freedom, democracy and human rights in Indonesia. Therefore, AMAN calls for solidarity from all for Phil Jacobson as our collective action to defend press freedom, democracy and human rights.
We demand that Philip Jacobson be released immediately. He needs to go home and reunite with his family and friends.
Jakarta, January 22, 2020
Rukka Sombolinggi
Secretary General AMAN
Contact : 08121060794 (Rukka Sombolinggi)
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