Jakarta (ANTARA Lampung) - The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) honors filmmaker Joshua Oppenheimer and the Anonymous with the 2015 Suardi Tasrif Award for their critical documentaries revealing the human rights violations of 1965--1966: "Jagal" (The Act of Killing) and "Senyap" (The Look of Silence) today, September 4, during the 21 anniversary reception of AJI. This award aims to recall the 50 years of Indonesia's dark history.
Both Oppenheimer and the Anonymous' films is a truth seeking, what is absolutely necessary to build a reconciliation on many forms of human rights violations in the past. The Suardi Tasrif Award Board of Jury states, "Without a disclosure of the facts about 1965--1966 massacre, a reconciliation process is impossible. Many countries' experience shows the reconciliation will never be achieved if the truth is not disclosed and recognized."
Suardi Tasrif - known as the Father of the Journalistic Ethic Code of Indonesia, was an unyielding figure in the fight of the press freedom during his lifetime. He is also persistent in fighting for the freedom of speech, a fundamental constitutional right to fulfill a wide range of human rights.
Since 1998, AJI has perpetuated his name as a tribute to the individual or group or institution determined to fight for the press freedom and the freedom of speech. The first Tasrif award was given to Munir, coordinator of The Commission of Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras).
First Award
The 2015 Suardi Tasrif Award's Board of Jury - consisting of Didik Supriyanto (Chief Editor Merdeka.com), Arif Zulkifli (Chief Editor of Tempo Magazine), and Donny BU (Co-founder ICT Watch) argues, Oppenheimer and the Anonymous win the award because their films revealed the uncontested facts of the tragedy of 1965 from the perpetrators' perspective and had never been made before. Meanwhile, the process of the production alone was also not easy, fraught with the risks and took a long time.
Joshua Oppenheimer, is an American film director, together with the Anonymous (an Indonesian filmmaker who remains anonymous for security reasons) has produced documentaries about the massacre of 1965--1966. The production of these movies has been carried out in 2004 to 2012.
The Act of Killing or "Jagal", which featuring the testimony of the massacre of 1965-1966's perpetrators in North Sumatra, has been launched in 2013. While "Senyap", which telling the victims' testimony was published in 2014, with the English version entitled "The Look of Silence". Since its launch, "The Act of Killing" and "The Look of Silence" have won dozens of awards from different countries.
Joshua Oppenheimer says the Tasrif award given to him and the Anonymous will be dedicated to the victims and survivors of the human rights violations. They also offer it respecfully to those who continue to speak the truth to ensure the mass slaughter and genocide will not be repeated.
"This award is very meaningful because it's the first time for us to received an award from Indonesia. We want to share it to the people who have been together for struggle for the freedom of press, freedom of opinion and expression, and freedom to obtain information in Indonesia, "Oppenheimer says.
