Media freedom, a necessity

Media freedom, a necessity

The police's interrogation on Sept. 8 of ANteve's news manager
Bachtiar as a witness of the criminal act charged to chief
editor/head of ANteve broadcasting operation section, to
broadcast matters that instigate, oppose and likely disturb the
nation's cohesion and unity, gives cause for great concern and
clearly is a repressive measure that obstructs the process of
reform promised by the government because it shows again that the
police are only one of the tools of the power holders to
strengthen their position.

In the first place, what is seen as disturbing and threatening
the cohesion and unity of the nation still needs to be defined
clearly. Also, in what way the ANteve report is seen as
disturbing the nation's cohesion and unity needs to be explained
in more detail. The interrogation is only an effort of
intimidation while the law used as the basis of the interrogation
can be analyzed arbitrarily by the power holders.

The police need to understand that measures to prevent the
broadcasting of balanced news in fact violates citizens' right
for access to unbiased information. We should remember and learn
from our history that the obstruction of access to information
results in rumors that can cause unrest in the community and has
even given rise to riots. Freedom of press needs to be protected
because the press must also participate in ensuring a clean
government.

Do we want to take steps forward or return to the despotic era
of the New Order which clearly abounded with mistakes? Let us
hope that the Habibie government does not end with the return of
the power of the military including the police, as a repressive
tool of the power holders. If the state security bill, submitted
to the House of Representatives, is passed into law, the
repression by the power holders will have legitimacy.

The police must be able to show their independence and
authority as upholders of the real truth and not the repressive
quasi-truth that is always maintained by a tyrannical government.

AMIR SIDHARTA

Jakarta