Groups seek revision of broadcasting bill

Groups seek revision of broadcasting bill

JAKARTA (JP): Thirty groups from various professional fields
have united in their fight to revise a broadcasting bill as
legislators continued to snub proposed revisions to the bill,
which is entering its penultimate deliberation stage at the House
of Representatives.

The 30 groups signed a declaration on Thursday to band
together in their struggle to revise the bill, which they charge
curbs media freedom.

Most of the groups hail from the media with organizations such
as the Indonesian Journalists Association, the Alliance of
Independent Journalists, the Association of Indonesian
Broadcasting Television and the Press Council.

However the diverse background of the groups also includes the
All Indonesian Cinema Organization, the Association of Indonesian
Cigarette Producers, and the Association of Indonesian Public
Relations Companies.

The groups also stated in their declaration that the freedom
of speech, the dissemination and right to obtain information is
threatened under the bill as it, among other things, places the
government as the supreme authority issuing permission for radio
frequency broadcasts.

"The bill is very repressive. Instead of replacing the old
authoritarian law, legislators have made a more authoritarian
one," Azkarmin Zaini from the Press Council told a media
conference here.

Coordinator of the Indonesian Press and Broadcasting Society
(MPPI) Leo Batubara said the House and government have once again
come up with a broadcasting bill that restricts media freedom.

He pointed to several articles that he said were clearly
unconstitutional.

Article 16, while it is aimed at avoiding the monopolization
of technology and capital, is said to be too extreme by
prohibiting the cross-ownership of media enterprises. It prevents
an individual from owning various mass-media organizations.

More concern was expressed on Article 8 which stipulates that
the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) has the authority to
recommend a broadcasting station for a license, impose sanctions
and establish a code of conduct for the broadcasting community.

Leo worried about the vast authority being given to KPI,
arguing that sanctions should be imposed only after hearing the
defense of broadcast stations or after a court ruling had been
issued.

Gilang Iskandar of the Indonesian Television Community said
that hopefully the House will openly listen and discuss possible
changes at the next session.

"Other countries will laugh at us if we impose this law," he
said. (hdn)