Two French Journalists to be Deported: Press Council

Jakarta (Antara) - The Press Council of Indonesia has urged the government to deport the two French journalists, Thomas Charles Dandois and Marie Valentine Bourrat, in order to prevent an escalation of their immigration issues. "They have not only committed violation of immigration law, but have also contacted various sources in Papua," Chairman of the Indonesia Press Council Bagir Manan reported here. The Press Council had sent a letter to the Directorate General of Immigration, Ministry of Law and Human Rights, after receiving a report about the detention of Dandois and Bourrat. Regarding the allegation of the involvement of the French journalists with armed groups in Papua, Bagir replied that every country might cordon off some parts or all of the territory under certain circumstance. After determining the status of an area, one cannot move in and out of the area without official permission. According to Bagir, the public should know about the current status of a territory. "If security situations develop, a clear legal basis should be formulated to establish whether a violation has occurred," Bagir explained. (*)