PWI unimpressed with new press guidelines

PWI unimpressed with new press guidelines

JAKARTA (JP): The chairman of the Indonesian Journalists
Association (PWI) has urged Minister of Information Muhammad
Yunus Yosfiah to scrap a new decree that empowers the government
to freeze the publishing licenses of newspapers and magazines.

Sofyan Lubis said on Saturday the decree -- which replaces a
much-criticized 1984 ministerial decree that authorized the
government to revoke press licenses -- was open to interpretation
and could cause similar problems for the press in the future.

Sofyan, also the chief editor of the popular Pos Kota daily in
Jakarta, said Article 23 of the new decree still allowed the
government to freeze licenses for "a certain period of time".

This clause, he said, could be abused by the government to ban
a publication.

"The article does not guarantee freedom of the press since it
contains various administrative sanctions against the press,"
Sofyan said as reported by Antara.

Yunus simplified licensing procedures and abolished the
requirements that all publications must get recommendations from
the PWI and the Union of Press Publishers (SPS).

He scrapped 16 procedures required to obtain a new license and
ended the monopoly of PWI as the sole organization for
journalists. He also promised to review the press law as soon as
possible.

Yunus said he would go to court if he chose to discipline a
press publisher who violated the law.

While media executives welcomed the gesture, they feared that
the next information minister would not necessarily be as
supportive of press freedoms as Yunus was.

The decree still does not meet our expectations, Sofyan said.
"It still needs revisions." (prb)