Say no to censorship

Nearly five years into Reformasi, what do we have to show for it?

A hopeless track record, when we look at the performance of the economy, at the courts of law in dispensing justice, at the incompetence of political parties and the national leadership, the widening corruption, not to mention the violent unrest in various parts of the country.

But one beacon of hope remains amidst all these gloomy signs: We still have freedom of expression, although this is not something that we must take for granted.

Today, we no longer need to conceal photocopied novels by "subversive" writers when reading on the bus. They are now bought and sold freely at bookstores. People only need to notify the police, instead of asking for permits, in holding rallies, discussions or other forms of gatherings. Women and men in business suits, and civil servants including teachers, are now a common sight in demonstrations which used to only feature students, workers and peasants.

Another clear sign that freedom of expression is holding its ground is press freedom -- not only the freedom to set up media businesses, but more importantly, the freedom to report.

National Press Day, which falls tomorrow, should be a time to reflect on how the press must continue the struggle to ensure that this freedom, and therefore the nation's freedom of speech, is guaranteed and respected by all.

Recent outbursts against the press by President Megawati Soekarnoputri, and remarks by her aides that something must be done about it, however indicate that the Indonesian press is coming under fire from the powers that be once again.

Megawati has accused the press of being "unbalanced" in reporting the public reaction against her government's decision to hike the prices of basic utilities at the start of the year.

The press would have gladly covered her explanations, but these were far and few, compared to her bristling reaction over the stomping of her posters. This episode suggests that there is something amiss about the President and the government's ability to communicate their policies to the public.

Earlier, critics who accused the press of "going overboard" with its freedom tried, but thankfully failed, in trying to insert criminal clauses in the 1999 Press Law. The media however failed to prevent the government and the legislature from inserting such a clause in the 2002 Broadcasting Law.

While some media have abused their newfound freedom by engaging in reckless journalism, it is wrong for the government to respond by seeking to reimpose control on the press.

The media, for its part, must do some house-cleaning if it wants to ease the pressure from the government, politicians and some members of the public, who are clamoring for some form of control over the press.

The media still has much work in improving the professionalism of journalists.

Corruption, or "envelope journalism", is still rampant.

Protests and complaints about inaccuracies, unbalanced and unfair reporting, defamation and character assassinations, must be taken seriously and dealt with.

Media owners must also invest more in training and upgrading the skills of their journalists, so that they can do their job properly and professionally.

The media must also lend its support in speeding up the deliberation of the bill on freedom of information in the House of Representatives, because this legislation will further empower journalists to report truthfully.

An informed public, supported by a professional, independent press, is crucial to any effort towards giving public more say in the decision-making process in this country.

A return to any form of press controls would land us right back to where we were five years ago -- a press that was continually beating around the bush and looking over its shoulders as it tried to reveal information and express opinions.

The day the government succeeds in reimposing control over the press would be the death knell for Reformasi.