Indonesian Police: Clearance Not Required for Foreign Journalists to Report
Reporter
April 3, 2025 | 05:41 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Inspector General Sandi Nugroho, Head of the Indonesian National Police Public Relations Division, clarified the circulating information about Police Regulation No. 3 of 2025 concerning the issuance of a police clearance letter for foreign journalists and researchers planning to work in Indonesia. According to Sandi, the police do not prohibit foreign journalists or researchers from carrying out their journalistic duties or conducting research in the country, even without a clearance letter.
"Without the clearance letter, foreign journalists can still conduct their duties in Indonesia as long as they do not violate the applicable laws and regulations," Sandi said in a written statement to Tempo on Thursday, April 3, 2025. Furthermore, the two-star general stated that issuing the clearance letter for foreign journalists is not mandatory.
Sandi views Police Regulation No. 3 of 2025 as a measure to protect and serve foreign workers in Indonesia. With the clearance letter, foreign journalists and researchers will be safer and their safety will be guaranteed while working. "This Police Regulation is based on the police's preventive efforts to prevent and address threats to the security and safety of foreigners," Sandi said.
According to Sandi, Police Regulation No. 3 of 2025, following Immigration Law No. 63 of 2024, especially in protecting foreign journalists working in conflict-prone areas, such as Papua.
Tempo's investigation of one of the articles in the regulation mentioned issuing police clearance letters for foreign journalists in Indonesia. For example, Article 5, Paragraph 1 Sub-paragraph b states, "The issuance of police clearance letters for foreigners conducting journalistic and research activities at certain locations."
The regulation also specifies that the issuance of the police clearance letter is carried out by the Public Service Division of the Indonesian National Police's Intelligence and Security Directorate's administration section. This is done by electronically registering through the official Indonesian National Police website.
Regarding this policy, Mustafa Layong, Director of the Legal Aid Institute for the Press, criticized a police clearance letter for foreigners conducting journalistic and research activities at certain locations. According to him, the supervision of foreigners should rightly be the responsibility of immigration.
As a democratic country, Mustafa said Indonesia must uphold the universal principles of human rights. For example, this principle includes safeguarding and upholding press freedom for every individual, including foreign journalists. Mustafa suspects that this regulation is created to limit the space and movement of journalism.
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