Legislature approves new press bill
Legislature approves new press bill
JAKARTA (JP): As anticipated, the House of Representatives
approved on Monday a new law which guarantees freedom of the
press.
Comprising 21 articles, including one which protects the press
from bans and one which provides for fines or jail terms for
those who block the access of on-duty journalists, the bill will
replace the 1982 Press Law which was sponsored by then minister
of information Harmoko, the current Speaker of the House.
Harmoko did not attend the House session and was represented
by his deputy, Lt. Gen. Hari Sabarno. The government was
represented by Minister of Information Muhammad Yunus Yosfiah.
Both the government and the House, however, said the bill was
not aimed at creating a liberal press.
The chairwoman of House Commission I for security and defense,
law, politics and information, Aisyah Amini, said the bill would
protect the national press from bans.
"The press must be free from banning, intimidation and
restrictions. However, given this freedom, the press must comply
with the supremacy of law, the journalistic code of ethics and
their own consciences," she said.
At least seven media publications were banned or temporarily
suspended under Soeharto's New Order regime for running stories
which offended or insulted the government.
The new bill also stipulates a maximum fine of Rp 500 million
or a jail term of up to two year for individuals, officials and
institutions which violate the freedom of the press.
The spokesman for the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI)
faction in the House, Y.B. Wiyanjono, called on the press to
improve its role in promoting democracy.
"The bill should give the press a boost in promoting
democratic values, spreading public opinion based on accurate and
correct information, exercising social control and fighting for
justice and truth," he said.
He also warned the national press against covering events or
advocating ideas which violated religious norms and the principle
of presumed innocence.
According to the new bill, individual publishers and
publishing companies no longer require a license from the
government to operate, but simply must make public the addresses
and chief editors of their publications.
The bill also requires the press council, whose function is to
uphold press freedom and the journalistic code of ethics, to make
a list of all media. Previously regarded as an extension of the
government, the press council will now consist entirely of
journalists with no government representatives.
An observer of mass communications, Ahmad Zaini, applauded the
House's approval of the bill, saying it would allow the press to
exercise its "coercive power" in the public's interest.
The Yogyakarta-based observer also hailed the bill for
requiring the press to abide by moral and religious norms.
Survey
Meanwhile, Media Watch Society unveiled a survey which
concluded that the public feared press coverage of recent events
could cause national disintegration.
The survey revealed that 75 percent of the 400 respondents,
about half of them university students, reacted unfavorably to
the national press' coverage of events in East Timor, Ambon and
Aceh.
Of the respondents, 12.4 percent said Rakyat Merdeka daily had
the most potential to cause disintegration, followed by Aksi
tabloid with 10.7 percent and Kompas daily with 9.4 percent.
Respondents were asked to read news reports printed in five
dailies, five weekly tabloids and seven weekly magazines.
"The survey was conducted to gauge the public's judgment of
news reports, which very much contain racial, religious and
ethnic issues," said the director of the group, Priyono B.
Sumbogo. (05/44/rms)