Understanding Near Neighbors Fellowships: study tour to Indonesia and Timor-Leste May/June 2009, Indonesia and Timor-Leste

PARTICIPANTS APJC fellows: Ms Ainslie Chandler, property editor/reporter, BRW, Sydney Ms Amy Coopes, Australian correspondent, Agence France-Presse, Sydney Ms Gabrielle Dunlevy, state political correspondent, AAP, Brisbane Mr Cameron England, chief business reporter, The Advertiser, Adelaide Ms Yalda Hakim, journalist, SBS (World News), Sydney Ms Gloria Kalache, journalist/ presenter, ABC Australia Network, Melbourne Ms Madeleine Perkins, education reporter, The Age, Melbourne Mr Girish Sawlani, journalist, ABC Radio Australia, Melbourne Indonesian fellows: Ms Lina Nursanty, journalist, Pikiran Rakyat (daily newspaper), Bandung Ms Diah Pitaloka, adviser, Indonesian Democratic Party, Bandung Timor-Leste journalists - mentor program Ms Maria-Zevonia Fernandes Vieira, editor and reporter, Kla’ak Magazine Ms Rita Almeida, Journalist, The Timor-Post (daily newspaper) Mr Aleixo da Costa, journalist, Diario National (daily newspaper) Mr Caetano Alves, journalist, Investigative Journalists Timorese Centre (CJITL) Mr David Hugo, journalist, Radio Timor-Leste Mr Paulino Quintas, journalist, TV Timor-Leste Ms Laura da Cruz, journalist, TV online, timortoday.com APJC personnel: Ms Alex Kennedy, project officer Ms Helen Musa, 2009 tour leader Mr John Wallace, program director Mr Jack Waterford, board of directors In-field study tour leaders: In Java: Mr MMI Ahyani, former correspondent Jakarta Post and DeTik, Bandung In Kupang: Mr Winston Neil Rondo, freelance journalist and project officer, Pantau, Kupang In Timor-Leste: Mr Naldo Rei, author and freelance journalist THE PROGRAM The fifth such program to be held, the 2009 event consisted of a teleconference briefing, followed by 13 days of travel in Indonesia and five days in Timor-Leste. The journalists were able to report on unfolding news events, such as the lead up to the Indonesian presidential elections, the ongoing campaign to dismantle terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah, the dire conditions in refugee camps in Timor-Barat, the closure of the last refugee camps in Timor-Leste and corruption allegations directed at the prime minister of East Timor, Xanana Gusmão. Seven of the journalists stayed on to take part in a two-day mentoring program with East Timorese journalists. On 23 May, Fellows attended an introductory Skype briefing session with guest speakers: Professor Greg Barton, acting director of the Centre for Islam and the Modern World, Monash University; Rowan Gould, director of the Australia Indonesia Muslim Leaders Exchange (AIME) and former CEO and board member of the Islamic Council of Victoria; and Dr Helen Hill, senior lecturer in Sociology (Asia-Pacific), Victoria University. A week later, on 31 May, Fellows travelled to Indonesia. Later that day, the program got under way with a briefing session followed by a welcome dinner in Jakarta. The group spent nine nights in Central Java, which included three nights in Jakarta, one night in both Bandung and Tasikmalaya, three nights in Jogjakarta and one night in Surabaya. In Jakarta, the group attended a briefing at the Australian Embassy, chaired by Bill Farmer AO, Australian ambassador to Indonesia, and a lunch hosted by ambassador. Other visits included meetings with: Andreas Harsono, journalist and board member of Yayasan Pantau; Mahendradatta, the lawyer who coordinates Indonesia’s Islamic legal team; Dr Anies Baswedan, president of Paramadina University and research director at the Indonesian Institute Centre for Public Policy Analysis; Sidney Jones, senior adviser of the Asia Program, International Crisis Group; editorial staff of Radio 68H, and Endy Bayuni, chief editor of the Jakarta Post. In Bandung, the group met: Dr Surono, director of volcanology; Dr Budi Santosa, director of Indonesian Aerospace; Ipong Witono, chairman of Indonesia Menggugat Movement; Professor Ir Bambang and students of the Indonesia Defence Study program at Bandung Institute of Technology. This was followed by visits to neighboring Kampung Naga Garut, a traditional village with a mix of Hindu and Islamic traditions, and Pesantren Cipasung-Singaparna in Tasikmalaya, and a meeting with Acep Zamzam Noor, son of the pesantren’s founder. In Jogjakarta, the group met: Prof Dr Ahmad Syafi'i Ma'arif, former head of Muhammadiyah; Octo Lampito, editor-in-chief of Kedaulatan Rakyat, Indonesia’s oldest daily; Dahlan Rais, chairman of National Mandate Party and board member of Muhammadiyah; members of Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia, and Professor Chamamah, head of Aisyiyah at Muhammadiyah Hospital, who arranged a tour of the hospital. In Surabaya the group visited Graha Pena, headquarters of the Jawa Pos media group. The group then spent two nights in Timor-Barat, with one night in Kupang and one in Atambua, where the group visited a refugee camp and settlement. The group then travelled overland to Timor-Leste, stopping at Balibo and at the AusAID-funded Seeds of Life Project in Tibar. In Dili, the group made visits to: the Alola Foundation; Parliament House; the internally displaced persons camp at Motael church; daily newspaper Suara Timor Lorosa’e; Radio Television Timor-Leste, meeting with Antonio Dias, chief of TVT-L and Rosario Martin, chief of Radio T-L; and daily newspaper Timor Post, meeting with Mouzinho Lopes, editor-in-chief. The group met: Jose Ramos Horta, president of the Timor-Leste; Peter Heyward, Australian ambassador to Timor-Leste; leaders of Timor-Leste’s opposition party, Fretlin; the Environmental Defence Group; representatives of the police, security, political and human rights branches of the UN mission; Fernanda Borges, president of National United Party (PUN) and president of Commission A of the National Parliament, and Jose Belo, editor of Tempo Semanal, who has been charged with criminal defamation for an article he published. Seven of the journalists stayed on to take part in a two-day mentoring program with East Timorese journalists organised by the APJC in collaboration with the International Centre for Journalists. ASSISTANCE WITH PROGRAM The APJC would like to acknowledge the hospitality and/or other assistance provided by organisations and individuals in Australia, Indonesia and Timor-Leste. Australia The Myer Foundation (major supporter) John Fairfax Limited News Limited Agence France-Presse Australian Broadcasting Commission Special Broadcasting Service Professor Greg Barton Mr Rowan Gould Professor Helen Hill Indonesia Ms Dea Almira, women’s section, Ahmadiyya Muslim Association, Jakarta Mr Azrul Ananda, Jawa Pos, Surabaya Australian Embassy, Jakarta Professor Ir Bambang, Indonesia Defence Study program, Bandung Institute of Technology Mr Abdul Basit, Amir, Ahmadiyya Muslim Association Indonesia, Jakarta Dr Anies Baswedan, president, Paramadina University and research director, Indonesian Institute Centre for Public Policy Analysis, Jakarta Mr Endy Bayuni, Chief Editor, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Mr Toni Bengu, Kupang Mr Alberthus Benu, Austcare, Kupang Prof Chamamah, head of Aisyiyah, Muhammadiyah Hospital, Jogjakarta Ms Jenny Dee, Counsellor (public affairs), Australian Embassy, Jakarta Mr Jim Della-Giacoma, South East Asia project director, International Crisis Group, Jakarta Mr Bill Farmer AO, Australian ambassador to Indonesia, Jakarta Mr Matheus B. Guedes, general secretary, AusAID Mr Andreas Harsono, journalist, Jakarta Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia, Jogjakarta Institut Studi Arus Informasi (The Institute for the Studies on Free Flow of Information), Jakarta Ms Sidney Jones, senior adviser of the Asia Program, International Crisis Group, Jakarta Kampung Naga Garut, Tasikmalaya Mr Octo Lampito, editor-in-chief, Kedaulatan Rakyat, Jogjakarta Mr Mahendradatta, lawyer, the Islam legal team, Jakarta Mr Richard Manning, program director for AusAID’s ANTARA program, Kupang Ms Ulla Keech Marx, sub national coordinator, Refugee Group, AusAID, Kupang Mr Harys Oematan, CIS Timor, Kupang Ms Citra Dyah Prastuti, Journalist, KBR68H, Jakarta Mr Dahlan Rais, chairman of National mandate party and board member of Muhammadiyah, Jogjakarta Mr Nur Syahrir Rahardjo, public relations, Sultan’s Office, Jogjakarta Mr Bima Priya Santosa, Deputy Rector for Operation and Finance, Jakarta Dr Budi Santosa, director of Indonesian Aerospace, Bandung Ms Trias Setiawati, Aisyiyah, Muhammadiyah, Jogjakarta Prof Dr Hj Siti Chamamah Soeratno, Muhammadiyah, Jogjakarta Radio 68H, Jakarta Ms Ronny Sugiantoro, managing editor and journalist, Kedaulatan Rakyat, Jogjakarta Mr Alloy Suratin, area project manager, Oxfam GB, Kupang Dr Surono, director of volcanology, Bandung Dr Ahmad Syafi'i Ma'arif, former head of Muhammadiyah, Jogjakarta Ms Sirikit Syah, media consultant, Media Watch, Surabaya Pesantren Cipasung-Singaparna, Tasikmalaya Ms Prabandari (Erry), editor, Kedaulatan Rakyat, Jogjakarta Mr Woro Yunita Trimukti, Public relations, Muhammadiyah hospital Mr Ade Wahyudi, Program Manager, KBR68H, Jakarta Mr Ipong Witono, chairman of Indonesia Menggugat Movement, Bandung Mr Acep Zamzam Noor, manager, Pesantren Cipasung-Singaparna, Tasikmalaya Timor-Leste Alola Foundation Mr Mouzino Lopes de Araoujo, editor-in-chief, Timor Post AusAID Seeds of Life Project at Tibar Mr Arsenio Bano, vice-president, Fretlin Mr Jose Belo, editor of Tempo Semanal Ms Sally Bolton, communications officer, AusAID – Seeds of Life Ms Fernanda Borges, president of National United Party (PUN) and president of Commission A of National Parliament. Mr Emanuel Braz, deputy country director, International Centre for Journalists Mr Antonio Dias, chief of TVT-L, Radio Television Timor-Leste Ms Anne Finch, chief executive officer, ALOLA Mr Virgilio Guterres da Silva, president, Timor-Leste Journalists Association Mr Fransisco da Silva Gari, director, Timor-Leste Media Development Centre Mr Aniceto Guterres, parliamentary leader, Fretlin Mr Peter Heyward, Australian ambassador to Timor-Leste Mr Gyorgy Kakuk, spokesperson, UNMIT Mr Rosario Martin, chief of Radio, Radio Television Timor-Leste Motael Internally Displaced Persons Camp Mr James Scambary Mr Salvadore Soares, publisher and editor-in-chief, Suara Timor Lorosa’e Mr Colin Stewart, chief, political affairs, UNMIT Major Michael Stone, military advisor to the President of the Republic, Office of the President, East Timor Mr José Teixeira, National Political Commission member, Fretlin UNMIT