Press freedom still seen as privilege, not right: Expert
Press freedom still seen as privilege, not right: Expert
SURAKARTA, Central Java (JP): The freedom of expression that the contemporary Indonesian press knows is still a privilege granted by the government, rather than a constitutional right, a legal expert said yesterday.
Todung Mulya Lubis gave a critical view of press-government relations, saying that the public have been fooled into thinking that press freedom existed while actually the threat of bans are ever present because the laws permit it.
Citing the 1994 banning of several publications, Mulya said the "dark ages" for the press have been returning to reign. "The power holders just can't accept a free press," he told The Jakarta Post.
Three other observers -- communication experts Eduard Depari and Ashadi Siregar, and sociologist Loekman Sutrisno -- gave similarly critical views of the government's attitude to the press.
Loekman mentioned press freedom and the democratic political system in one breath. With a free press and a democratic political system, he said, the government would succeed in eliminating corruption.
"Remember, Indonesia is among the most corrupt countries in the world," he said. "Corrupt officials and thieves of the state's wealth would think twice (before committing violations) if the press revealed corruption, while the public would increase the pressure for a clean government."
"The question is whether the press dares to reveal corruption cases objectively, free from the pressures of certain political interests," he said.
Minister of Information Harmoko also shared a thought on the commemoration of the National Press Day, which is today and celebrated here. During the event, the Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) will also commemorate its 50th anniversary.
He said after a meeting with President Soeharto yesterday that a journalist's foremost responsibility is toward his own conscience. "It's their conscience which must dictate their attitude and writing," he said.
The next responsibilities are toward their publications, while PWI is responsible for the guidance and development of journalists, he said.
Harmoko expressed his conviction that the concept of a crusading or struggling press is still relevant even today, decades after Indonesia achieved its independence.
"The difference is in the direction of its struggle," he said. "Then, the press struggled to help achieve independence. Now, it struggles to develop the nation."
A call for greater freedom for the press was also made by Eduard Depari. The staff lecturer at the University of Indonesia and Gadjah Mada University said the freedom is needed for the press to function as a social control, and so that it can hold the power holders accountable.
By the year 2020, when the world enters the era of trade liberalization, Indonesia needs to be able to compete, and to think and act independently. "An ability to think independently and critically can only grow if there's freedom of expression," he said.
Ashadi again brought up the question of press freedom and how it hinged on the existence of press publication permits.
In reality, he said, the government has never revoked any permits for any reasons other than the content or journalistic work of the publications which it found offensive.
It shows that the permits were used by the authorities in the Ministry of Information as a means to control the press, he said.
After criticizing the power holders' policy toward the press, Mulya switched his criticism to the press and said it should examine itself.
The contemporary press is characterized by a concentration of ownership and of control in the hands of only a few people, he said. "The press has become an industry and, as such, its freedom can be compromised," he said.
Within the context of the press as an industry, he said, "Is the question of press freedom still relevant?"
After saying that the press' existence is "in danger" because of the lack of freedom, Mulya Lubis said that there was no reason for it to stop struggling to achieve its goal. "We have to have hope and be optimistic," he said. (har/swe)
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