House, media organization out to challenge new bill
House, media organization out to challenge new bill
JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives and the Indonesian
Press and Broadcast Society (MPPI) agreed on Thursday to accept a
government-sponsored bill on mass media for deliberation for
practical reasons.
But the two pledged to join forces in overhauling the draft,
which they said maintained the government's sweeping control over
the mass media.
"Realizing that we are pressed for time, I suggest that we
welcome a bill, no matter where it came from. The most important
thing is the output must meet the demand for reform and
democracy," said Aminullah Ibrahim, deputy chairman of House
Commission I for mass media.
MPPI chairman Leo Batubara concurred, saying the organization
would be ready to back up legislators, who will debate the bill
with the government.
"I personally oppose the government's draft. However, we
should not lose the momentum, otherwise our struggle for the
freedom of the press and the right to information will recede,"
said Leo, who also chairs the Newspaper Publishers Union (SPS).
Earlier the Alliance of Independent Journalists had said the
single necessary legal change to ensure press freedom was to
change the 1945 Constitution, which only says freedom of
expression will be regulated by laws.
Leo said MPPI has spent more than Rp 300 million (US$111,000)
to draw up its own draft, which it submitted to the House on
Wednesday.
The House accepted the government-sponsored mass media bill
for deliberation last week for procedural reasons. It was
submitted to the House prior to three other versions to be
proposed by the MPPI, 22 House legislators and the Indonesian
Journalist Association.
The House internal rules apply a first-come-first-in basis.
Aminullah attributed the legislators' failure to complete a
bill on the mass media to their heavy workload. The House
members, whose tenure ends at the end of September, still have 16
bills to deliberate.
Separately, House Commission I chairwoman Aisyah Aminy said
the mass media bill was not a priority. She said, if necessary,
the present House would leave the bill deliberation to its
successor.
Leo said the government's draft "is as authoritarian as the
current press law" because it maintains the government's right to
issue licenses for press publication and gives it control of the
Press Council.
The MPPI bill says that press publications do not need a
government license, because press freedom is not extended by the
government but is an inseparable part of independent Indonesians.
It also gives no room for the government's role in the
respected Press Council, which according to the present law is
ex-officio chaired by the minister of information.
The MPPI draft incorporates electronic media into the press,
although Leo said the proposal lacked detailed articles dealing
with broadcast media.
To anticipate stiff challenge by the House, the government has
also prepared similar versions of separate bills on the press, on
the broadcast media and on film. (anr/amd)
JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives and the Indonesian
Press and Broadcast Society (MPPI) agreed on Thursday to accept a
government-sponsored bill on mass media for deliberation for
practical reasons.
But the two pledged to join forces in overhauling the draft,
which they said maintained the government's sweeping control over
the mass media.
"Realizing that we are pressed for time, I suggest that we
welcome a bill, no matter where it came from. The most important
thing is the output must meet the demand for reform and
democracy," said Aminullah Ibrahim, deputy chairman of House
Commission I for mass media.
MPPI chairman Leo Batubara concurred, saying the organization
would be ready to back up legislators, who will debate the bill
with the government.
"I personally oppose the government's draft. However, we
should not lose the momentum, otherwise our struggle for the
freedom of the press and the right to information will recede,"
said Leo, who also chairs the Newspaper Publishers Union (SPS).
Earlier the Alliance of Independent Journalists had said the
single necessary legal change to ensure press freedom was to
change the 1945 Constitution, which only says freedom of
expression will be regulated by laws.
Leo said MPPI has spent more than Rp 300 million (US$111,000)
to draw up its own draft, which it submitted to the House on
Wednesday.
The House accepted the government-sponsored mass media bill
for deliberation last week for procedural reasons. It was
submitted to the House prior to three other versions to be
proposed by the MPPI, 22 House legislators and the Indonesian
Journalist Association.
The House internal rules apply a first-come-first-in basis.
Aminullah attributed the legislators' failure to complete a
bill on the mass media to their heavy workload. The House
members, whose tenure ends at the end of September, still have 16
bills to deliberate.
Separately, House Commission I chairwoman Aisyah Aminy said
the mass media bill was not a priority. She said, if necessary,
the present House would leave the bill deliberation to its
successor.
Leo said the government's draft "is as authoritarian as the
current press law" because it maintains the government's right to
issue licenses for press publication and gives it control of the
Press Council.
The MPPI bill says that press publications do not need a
government license, because press freedom is not extended by the
government but is an inseparable part of independent Indonesians.
It also gives no room for the government's role in the
respected Press Council, which according to the present law is
ex-officio chaired by the minister of information.
The MPPI draft incorporates electronic media into the press,
although Leo said the proposal lacked detailed articles dealing
with broadcast media.
To anticipate stiff challenge by the House, the government has
also prepared similar versions of separate bills on the press, on
the broadcast media and on film. (anr/amd)