Indonesia deports Japanese documentary makers out of Papua

Published May 24, 2017

Six Japanese making a documentary about indigenous people in the tightly controlled Indonesian province of Papua were deported for lacking journalist visas just days after the country was the international host for World Press Freedom Day.

The head of immigration in Jayapura, the provincial capital, said the six who were working for Nagamo Production House were arrested on Monday and deported on Thursday.

The official, Yopie Watimena, said Friday they were traveling on tourist visas and had shot footage of the Mamuna and Korowai tribes in southeastern Papua.

It's the latest in a series of arrests and deportations despite President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's 2015 announcement that Papua and West Papua were open to foreign journalists.

Indonesia last week hosted an international conference to mark U.N.-sponsored World Press Freedom Day.

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