New Code threatens media freedom<\/p>\n
Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Press Council again called for the government to revise the
\ncontroversial draft of the new Criminal Code, which allows for
\nthe criminal prosecution of journalists who violate the law in
\nthe course of their jobs.<\/p>\n
Leo Batubara, a senior press figure, urged the Attorney
\nGeneral's Office (AGO) not to use the Criminal Code to prosecute
\njournalists, saying this would threaten hard-gained press
\nfreedoms.<\/p>\n
He was speaking to reporters following a meeting with Attorney
\nGeneral Abdul Rahman Saleh on Tuesday. He said he asked the
\nattorney general to pass along the message to the President.<\/p>\n
\"President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's main program is to
\ncreate good governance, including eliminating corruption in the
\ncountry, and the press is needed to supervise and criticize the
\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
\"The new draft threatens press freedom and will eliminate the
\npress' function as a voice of the public. Any journalist who
\nviolates the new draft could be jailed for up to seven years,\"
\nLeo said.<\/p>\n
He said the Press Council had proposed that journalists who
\ncommitted libel be tried in civil rather than criminal cases, in
\naddition to media companies facing the risk of bankruptcy.<\/p>\n
\"What is the use of our Press Law if the new Criminal Code
\nwill be used to put journalists behind bars?\" Leo said, referring
\nto Press Law No. 40\/1999.<\/p>\n
\"Countries like India, Sri Lanka, Egypt and the Philippines
\nhave long eliminated laws that could threaten press freedom,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He said the Press Council had attempted to meet with the
\ndrafters of the new Criminal Code, including the chairman of the
\ndraft committee, Muladi, but no one had responded to the
\ninvitations.<\/p>\n
\"We will keep trying to talk with them and we will also
\ncontinue our struggle in the House of Representatives so that
\nthey will understand that the new code will hurt the press,\" Leo
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Attorney General's Office spokesman R.J. Soehandojo said the
\nattorney general agreed with the Press Council that journalists
\nshould not be prosecuted under the Criminal Code.<\/p>\n
However, Soehandojo said the attorney general did not have the
\nauthority to prevent the bill from going to the House of
\nRepresentatives.<\/p>\n
A member of the team responsible for the new Criminal Code
\ndraft, which is now in the hands of the Cabinet Secretariat
\nbefore being forwarded to the House of Representatives for
\ndeliberation, said they had no intention of restricting press
\nfreedom.<\/p>\n
\"It is not true that the draft Criminal Code will be more
\nrestrictive against the press than the current one,\" said Chairul
\nHuda on Tuesday after a panel discussion on the issue.<\/p>\n
The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), in a press
\nrelease, said if the bill passed press freedom would be
\nthreatened because at least 49 articles in the draft could land
\njournalists in jail. These range from articles regarding the ban
\non the spread of communist doctrine to leaking state secrets and
\nlibel.<\/p>\n
In marking World Press Freedom Day on Tuesday, the AJI urged
\nthe House of Representatives to remove all articles from the
\ndraft that could curb press freedom and limit public creativity.
\n(004)<\/p>",
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