Old debate on press licensing raging again<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government's plan to revise the 1982 Press
\nLaw has received a warm welcome but the long-standing
\ndisagreements over the controversial ministerial decree on
\npublication licensing remain.<\/p>\n
Andi Muis, a law professor at Hasanuddin University in
\nUjungpandang, hailed the government's goodwill but suggested that
\nit consider people's demands to abolish the decree on licensing
\nif it is to bring the Press Law into line with the broadcasting
\nbill passed last week.<\/p>\n
\"There are inconsistencies between the law and the ministerial
\ndecree concerning banning of newspapers,\" Muis told The Jakarta
\nPost over the weekend.<\/p>\n
\"Allowing the government to ban publications without judicial
\nprocedures violates two articles contained in the Press Law,\" he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
Under the 1984 information ministerial decree, a ban could be
\nimposed on publications for either administrative or content
\noffenses.<\/p>\n
While Article 4 of the Press Law says that no censorship or
\nbans shall be applied to the National Press. Article 15 refers to
\nindividual, not institutional, responsibility when it comes to
\npenalties taken against press offenses.<\/p>\n
\"It's unfair based on the law that a publication company can
\nbe closed down because of an individual's fault,\" Muis said.<\/p>\n
Minister of Information Harmoko said last Wednesday after
\nannouncing the need to bring the 1982 law into line with the
\nbroadcasting bill that the government would maintain the disputed
\ndecree.<\/p>\n
Since its issuance 12 years ago, the decree has claimed the
\nlives of at least five major publications: Sinar Harapan,
\nPrioritas, Tempo, DeTik and Editor.<\/p>\n
Muis said that the revised press law should follow in the
\nfootsteps of the broadcasting bill which suggests court
\nsettlements to any offenses committed by broadcasters.<\/p>\n
However, Muis tried to be more accommodating with the
\ngovernment's insistence on upholding the publication licensing
\ndecree.<\/p>\n
\"If the government refused to totally overhaul the decree, it
\ncould relinquish its authority to close down publications for
\nviolations in editorial content,\" Muis said.<\/p>\n
According to Muis, the government should loosen its control
\nover the press since the job is already done by the Criminal
\nCode.<\/p>\n
Separately, Secretary-General of the Jakarta branch of the
\nIndonesian Journalists Association Marah Sakti Siregar said that
\nan inclusion of judicial procedures into the renewed law would be
\n\"encouraging\".<\/p>\n
But he defended the publication licensing policy, saying that
\nIndonesian people are not sufficiently mature and educated to
\nexercise social control over a liberal press.<\/p>\n
\"I cannot imagine how chaotic our society would become if
\neverybody is free to publish or disseminate information,\" said
\nSiregar, who is also the chief editor of Tiras weekly magazine.<\/p>\n
He referred as an example to the October religious riot in
\nSitubondo, East Java, which flared up following rumors that a
\ndefendant charged with blasphemy against Islamic teaching took
\nrefuge in a church.<\/p>\n
\"Our society is too sensitive to religious, ethnic and racial
\nissues. The licensing decree may no longer be necessary when all
\nIndonesians have at least a high school education,\" Siregar said.<\/p>\n
The abolition of the publication licensing authority would
\nalso leave the government toothless, according to Siregar.<\/p>\n
Another mass communication expert, Novel Ali of the Semarang,
\nCentral Java-based, Diponegoro University, threw his weight
\nbehind the revision of the Press Law.<\/p>\n
\"There are a lot of things that could be inserted in the new
\nlaw, particularly the cancellation of publication licensing,\"
\nNovel said. \"Such a decree is malevolent to the principle of
\njustice.\"<\/p>\n
Novel, however, was skeptical about whether the absence of
\npublication licensing would end the government's sweeping control
\nover the press.<\/p>\n
\"External censorship through telephone calls from the
\nauthorities and other forms of restriction have prevailed for
\nages in the national press,\" Novel said.<\/p>\n
One of Novel's colleagues, Susilo Utomo, said that the revised
\npress law should encourage the use of judicial procedures and
\nother means to resolve cases involving the press.<\/p>\n
\"The right to answer in court has not worked as expected. This
\nshould be the center of discussions on the new version of the
\nPress Law,\" Susilo said. (har\/amd)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/old-debate-on-press-licensing-raging-again-1447893297",
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