Pacific

Indonesia told to improve media climate

14:51 pm on 24 December 2014

The Indonesian Government has been told to improve its media freedom climate.

An international delegation visited last week and called on President Joko Widodo to take a new approach to the press.

The group cited concerns, including the criminalisation of online speech, a climate of impunity for attacks against journalists, the concentration of media ownership among five moguls and the politicisation of media outlets.

The group met with media groups and Indonesia's Minister of Communications and Technology, Rudiantara.

President Widodo said before his election that the provinces of Papua and West Papua should be open to foreign journalists, who currently face a lengthy application process to get restricted access to the regions.