INDONESIA, RAKYAT NEWS – Two Australian journalists, Kristo “Berani” Langker and Kirsten “Tangguh” Felice, have been recognized for their courageous reporting after walking through West Papua to cover the use of rockets and mortars by Indonesian security forces against the indigenous Papuans in the Highlands of Papua.

Their work, which involved crossing jungles and rivers on foot and entering Indonesia without a visa, earned them the Oktovianus Pogau Journalism Award from the Pantau Foundation for their bravery in journalism.

Langker and Felice, who work for Paradise Broadcasting, a new media outlet based in Sydney, ventured into the conflict zone to report on the asymmetrical battles between the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) and Indonesian forces.

They sought to explain the ongoing conflict by interviewing several members of the TPNPB, who had crossed from Papua New Guinea (PNG) into Indonesia’s de facto Papua region. Their investigative work highlighted the significant risks they faced, traveling through an area with a history of restricted foreign media access.

Yuliana Lantipo from the Pantau Foundation commended the journalists. “It’s impressive how brave these two young journalists are. Entering conflict zones in Papua is not easy, especially for foreign nationals, and the risks they faced were substantial,” she said

Lantipo emphasized the courage required to report from such a challenging and dangerous environment.

The journalists’ work began with the establishment of Paradise Broadcasting by Langker in 2023. The media outlet focuses on in-depth reporting, such as Langker’s earlier coverage of the kidnapping of New Zealand pilot Phillip Mark Mehrtens by the Papuan guerrillas in the Central Highlands.

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