Information again under the control of government<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
One may have seen it coming. Perhaps not glaringly conspicuous,
\nbut the signs where there for a return to the situation where
\ninformation would be controlled and restricted by the government.<\/p>\n
The first sign was the return of the information ministry as a
\nportfolio ministry early this year, which was met with concern
\nthat it would operate like the information ministry during the
\nauthoritarian regime of former president Soeharto, who was ousted
\nin 1998.<\/p>\n
The Information Ministry during the New Order regime
\npractically controlled all the country's media, and it had sole
\npower to grant and revoke licenses and was thus able to meddle in
\neditorial processes.<\/p>\n
The second sign was the ministry's ban on all broadcasters
\nfrom going to air from midnight to dawn, using the excuse of
\nconserving energy amid ballooning global oil prices.<\/p>\n
Criticism of this move was quick, including from the
\nIndonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI). However, the protests
\nquickly dissipated.<\/p>\n
The third sign was the controversial four sets of government
\nregulations issued recently by the ministry to provide technical
\nimplementation of Law No. 32\/2002 on broadcasting.<\/p>\n
The four are government regulations No. 49\/2005 on foreign
\nbroadcasters, No. 50\/2005 on private broadcasters, No. 51\/2005 on
\ncommunity broadcasters and No. 52\/2005 on subscription-based
\nbroadcasters.<\/p>\n
Not only did the ministry grace itself with the final say on
\nlicensing issues, but it also put boundaries on content -- a
\nclear violation of the broadcasting law, according to experts.<\/p>\n
Among them is the prohibition on private broadcasters to relay
\nregular news programs from foreign broadcasters, thus limiting
\nsources of information to the public.<\/p>\n
Old habits die hard, media analyst Hinca Panjaitan said,
\nreferring to the irresistible desire by those in power to control
\nthe information received by the public.<\/p>\n
"All the fears about the ministry are turning into reality.
\nThe media is supposed to control the government, but how is it
\nsupposed to do so when its life lies in a minister's hands?" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Hinca said the four regulations constituted clear evidence of
\ntight restrictions that were not supposed to be applied in a
\ndemocracy, where freedom of information is constitutionally
\nguaranteed.<\/p>\n
Asked if the government seemed to be wayward on this issue,
\nHinca said the government was hiding behind the judicial review
\nprocess.<\/p>\n
"I suppose they knew criticism would come, but they just want
\nto control. They knew a judicial review would be filed, but they
\nknew it would take years for a verdict to be handed down," he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Information minister Sofyan Djalil had said, "Let (critics)
\nfile a judicial review, but these regulations will remain in
\nforce until there is a verdict".<\/p>\n
Unlike a judicial review at the Constitutional Court, a review
\nby the Supreme Court has no maximum period before a verdict has
\nto be handed down.<\/p>\n
"We'll probably be having another general election, but the
\njudicial review will still be undecided," said Hinca.<\/p>\n
Nonetheless, Hinca said a group of media observers were now
\ndrafting documents to file a judicial review against the
\n"repressive regulations".<\/p>\n
The KPI filed a judicial review on the previous regulations to
\nthe Supreme Court in July, but it remains unclear when a verdict
\nwould be delivered.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/information-again-under-the-control-of-government-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}