Legislators support press freedom

Legislators support press freedom

JAKARTA: A number of House of Representatives legislators
joined on Thursday the chorus of criticism against law enforcers
for opting to use the Criminal Code over Press Law No. 40/1999 in
settling disputes involving media reports.

"Freedom of the press is not supposed to be sacrificed for the
sake of private interests," legislator Djoko Susilo of the
National Mandate Party (PAN) said, while reading out a petition
signed by the lawmakers.

They underlined that press freedom was inseparable from the
on-going development of democracy in the country.

Among the signatories to the petition were Golkar Party's
Fahmi Idris, Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle's Meilono
Suwondo and PAN's Abdillah Toha and Irzal Djalil.

The joint statement came a day after a group of activists
issued its plea ahead of a court verdict on Monday against Tempo
chief editor Bambang Harymurti, who is standing trial on charges
of defamation filed by businessman Tomy Winata. -- JP