Cirebon vows to rescind press control bylaw<\/p>\n
Nana Rukmana, The Jakarta Post, Cirebon<\/p>\n
Bowing to mounting pressure to scrap a new bylaw on access to
\ninformation, which many feared would jeopardize press freedom,
\nCirebon Regent Sutisna apologized and vowed on Friday to review
\nthe ruling.<\/p>\n
He made the promise during a meeting with around 40 local
\njournalists from the print and electronic media, who staged a
\npeaceful protest at the regency offices in Cirebon, West Java.<\/p>\n
\"I had no intention of damaging press freedom. I beg your
\npardon if the bylaw that we issued could lead to that impression.
\nWe also promise to revise it,\" Sutisna told the protesters.<\/p>\n
Maskub Buntoro, speaker of the regency's legislative council,
\nput his weight behind the calls to revoke Bylaw No. 79\/2001 as
\npart of an effort to promote press freedom in Cirebon.<\/p>\n
\"I am among those who are really aware that press freedom is
\nvery important. How could I want to curb press freedom? That's
\nimpossible. If the bylaw potentially threatens press freedom, we
\nwill certainly revise it,\" he said in response to accusations
\nthat the council speaker was also responsible for the issuance of
\nthe ruling.<\/p>\n
Sutisna and Maskub also pledged to include representatives of
\njournalists in the process of revising the much-reviled bylaw.<\/p>\n
The bylaw, drafted by the local information office, was issued
\nin April 2001 by the regent but was not made public despite
\nhaving been approved by the council on Nov. 22 last year.<\/p>\n
It stipulates that the Cirebon administration has the power to
\nregulate all kinds of information dissemination activities,
\nincluding those conducted by the print and electronic media.<\/p>\n
Sutisna went further by issuing a decree in April 2002 to
\nestablish a Regional Information Order Control Team (TPID) to
\ncarry out this function on behalf of the local administration.
\nThe team members included military and police officers, and
\ngovernment officials.<\/p>\n
During Friday's protest, the journalists demanded the bylaw be
\nrevoked as it restricted press freedom, and slammed the setting-
\nup of the TPID as a repressive move to stifle the mass media.<\/p>\n
The protest was also aimed at putting pressure on the local
\nlegislative council to help push for a repeal of the bylaw.<\/p>\n
The protest was held as Maskub, Sutisna and other senior local
\ngovernment officials were attending a ceremony to mark a National
\nChildren's Day celebration in the regency office's auditorium.<\/p>\n
The rally received the backing of the Cirebon branches of the
\nIndonesian Journalists' Association (PWI) and the Indonesian
\nAssociation of National Private Radio Stations (PRSSNI).<\/p>\n
\"We support the action by our fellow journalists here. The
\nmove should be regarded as the responsibility of press workers to
\nhelp guarantee the people's right to freely access information,\"
\nsaid Cirebon's PWI chairman Rohlani Mawardi, who was accompanied
\nby the local PRSSNI branch chairman Syaiful Badar.<\/p>\n
\"So what we are doing is within the meaning of struggling for
\nthe people's basic right to have access to information,\" Rohlani
\nadded.<\/p>\n
Similar protests against press control were previously held on
\nWednesday and Thursday.<\/p>",
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