V. Conclusion

After the fall of Soeharto, Indonesia was considered a center of media freedom in Southeast Asia.Current conditions and practices in Aceh, however, are fast dispelling this reputation.The policies that have been enacted during the war in Aceh are eroding precious gains made during the past few years.

This not only has implications for reporting of the war in Aceh, but also for media freedom in Indonesia as a whole.The violations described in this report have a combined effect that undermines the development of a free, objective, and professional media in Indonesia.The most direct effects are on journalists who are attacked or intimidated.The increasing number of foreign correspondents who choose not to cover the war in Aceh is also a visible consequence.The broader impact on the Indonesian press corps who have remained in Aceh, at the price of having learned to censor themselves, is harder to measure, but can be expected to have serious long-term consequences for press freedom in Indonesia.

Human Rights Watch

Asia Division

Human Rights Watch is dedicated to protecting the human rights of people around the world.

We stand with victims and activists to bring offenders to justice, to prevent discrimination, to uphold political freedom and to protect people from inhumane conduct in wartime.

We investigate and expose human rights violations and hold abusers accountable.

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We enlist the public and the international community to support the cause of human rights for all.

The staff includes Kenneth Roth, executive director; Carroll Bogert, associate director Michele Alexander, development director; Rory Mungoven, advocacy director; Barbara Guglielmo, finance director; Lotte Leicht, Brussels office director; Steve Crawshaw, London office director; Maria Pignataro Nielsen, human resources director; Iain Levine, program director; Wilder Tayler, legal and policy director; and Joanna Weschler, United Nations representative.Jonathan Fanton is the chair of the board.Robert L. Bernstein is the founding chair.

Its Asia division was established in 1985 to monitor and promote the observance of internationally recognized human rights in Asia.Brad Adams is executive director; Saman Zia-Zarifi is deputy director, Sara Colm and Mickey Spiegel are senior researchers; Meg Davis, Ali Hasan, and Charmain Mohamed are researchers; Thomas Kellogg is Orville Schell Fellow;Liz Weiss is coordinator; and Ami Evangelista is associate.Joanne Leedom-Ackerman is Chairperson of the advisory committee.

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