Govt moves to rein in press
Govt moves to rein in press
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The freewheeling days when the Indonesian press was free to
publish whatever it wanted look numbered as the government is
preparing a bill to stem what it considers press excesses.
In all, there are 37 articles in the bill that can be used to
bring the feisty press under control, and curtail the incidence
of racy pictures and material, character assassination, unlawful
ads and bogus journalists (those who pretend to be journalists to
extort money).
State Minister for Communications and Information Syamsul
Mu'arif said these provisions were designed to prevent "excessive
freedom of the press".
"The provisions will first be introduced to the public and the
press before being enforced," Syamsul told a hearing with the
House of Representatives' Commission I here on Thursday.
The press would be subject to the criminal code, he stressed.
Syamsul said he had initiated the bill as a result of public
pressure. Certain sections of society, he said, thought that some
publications had often printed erroneous and misleading reports.
The bill was being jointly prepared by his ministry, the press
council, and the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights.
Syamsul's ministry was established only after President
Megawati Soekarnoputri came to power in July this year. The
setting up of the ministry was met with fierce public criticism,
especially from the press, for fear that it would be used as a
tool to curtail press freedom.
The Ministry of Information, which emasculated the press for
30 years under Soeharto's repressive regime, was dissolved by
former president Abdurrahman Wahid in 1999.
Syamsul said the police would be tasked with bringing
publications to book if they violated the law.
Touching on the broadcasting bill, Syamsul said that his
ministry was currently preparing the draft law and would soon
submit it for deliberation to the House.
During the hearing, several legislators raised concerns over
certain publications that were in the habit of printing unsavory
reports and pictures. Others demanded that the minister improve
the performance of TVRI state television and RRI state radio.
TVRI Director Sumita Tobing confirmed that the State Ministry
for State Enterprises had agreed to audit the ailing TVRI.
"Only after TVRI has been audited can we decide on our next
steps," she said.
Under her leadership, she said, TVRI would become a global
player and would provide more relevant information for people
across the country.
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The freewheeling days when the Indonesian press was free to
publish whatever it wanted look numbered as the government is
preparing a bill to stem what it considers press excesses.
In all, there are 37 articles in the bill that can be used to
bring the feisty press under control, and curtail the incidence
of racy pictures and material, character assassination, unlawful
ads and bogus journalists (those who pretend to be journalists to
extort money).
State Minister for Communications and Information Syamsul
Mu'arif said these provisions were designed to prevent "excessive
freedom of the press".
"The provisions will first be introduced to the public and the
press before being enforced," Syamsul told a hearing with the
House of Representatives' Commission I here on Thursday.
The press would be subject to the criminal code, he stressed.
Syamsul said he had initiated the bill as a result of public
pressure. Certain sections of society, he said, thought that some
publications had often printed erroneous and misleading reports.
The bill was being jointly prepared by his ministry, the press
council, and the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights.
Syamsul's ministry was established only after President
Megawati Soekarnoputri came to power in July this year. The
setting up of the ministry was met with fierce public criticism,
especially from the press, for fear that it would be used as a
tool to curtail press freedom.
The Ministry of Information, which emasculated the press for
30 years under Soeharto's repressive regime, was dissolved by
former president Abdurrahman Wahid in 1999.
Syamsul said the police would be tasked with bringing
publications to book if they violated the law.
Touching on the broadcasting bill, Syamsul said that his
ministry was currently preparing the draft law and would soon
submit it for deliberation to the House.
During the hearing, several legislators raised concerns over
certain publications that were in the habit of printing unsavory
reports and pictures. Others demanded that the minister improve
the performance of TVRI state television and RRI state radio.
TVRI Director Sumita Tobing confirmed that the State Ministry
for State Enterprises had agreed to audit the ailing TVRI.
"Only after TVRI has been audited can we decide on our next
steps," she said.
Under her leadership, she said, TVRI would become a global
player and would provide more relevant information for people
across the country.