Freedom of expression endangered: Observers

Freedom of expression endangered: Observers

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta

While the country's first direct presidential election was
peaceful and mainly free from coercion and intimidation, freedom
of expression is still not fully respected here, observers say.

Political observer Ichlasul Amal of Gadjah Mada University in
Yogyakarta said on Sunday that amid the hurly-burly of both the
legislative and presidential elections, there were efforts from
some quarters to stifle freedom of expression, especially press
freedom, through the use of the Criminal Code in media-related
cases instead of Press Law No. 40/1999.

"It goes without saying that freedom of the press is a crucial
element in a democracy to enable citizens to express their views.
However, those in the judiciary, the judges and prosecutors,
decline to respect press freedom by exclusively using the Press
Law in cases related to the media," Amal told The Jakarta Post in
a telephone interview.

Amal, who is also the chairman of the Press Council, said that
in a fledgling democracy like Indonesia the press played an
indispensable role in preventing the country from plunging into
iron-fisted rule, as occurred during the authoritarian New Order
regime.

"The press can closely watch what the government does and put
a limit if it goes too far," he said.

Following the end of president Soeharto's authoritarian rule,
the press enjoyed a relatively open atmosphere.

However, that freedom was short lived as scores of defamation
suits have been filed by government officials and businesspeople
against editors and reporters from numerous publications using
the Criminal Code instead of the Press Law.

President Megawati Soekarnoputri and members of the House of
Representatives filed defamation lawsuits against editors from
Rakyat Merdeka daily.

Journalists from Tempo magazine and Koran Tempo daily are
currently facing defamation charges for their reporting.

Amal also warned of interference in the press by business
interests.

"It is a known fact that the media can immediately lose its
edge once it is taken over by large business entities. It will
only run stories amenable to business interests," he said.

Political observer Syamsudin Haris of the Indonesian Institute
of Sciences shared Amal's views, adding that the gravest threat
to the press would come if the state and business interests
conspired to limit its freedom.

Syamsudin called on the government to resist the temptation to
suppress press freedom and instead take measures to guarantee
this freedom.

"The next government should first repeal any regulations
deemed restrictive to freedom of expression and vow to maintain
press freedom," he told the Post.

Earlier, Press Council member Leo Batubara said there were
currently seven regulations that hampered freedom of speech and
constituted a standing menace to democracy.

Syamsudin said that rather than being seen as a threat to the
government, the press could become a partner to the government in
measuring what was actually taking place in society.

He also called on the press to stand up against media
conglomeration, which he said would jeopardize public interests.

"The media must not succumb to market demands as what the
market says mostly reflects what big business wants. If the media
wants to uphold democracy, it first has to serve the public," he
said.