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