Yusril: Bill on Combating Disinformation and Foreign Propaganda Will Not Weaken Democracy

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra stated that the Bill on Combating Disinformation and Foreign Propaganda will not weaken democratic practices.

Yusril, when met after the National Law Development Coordination Meeting in Jakarta on Wednesday, explained that the bill will focus on countering disinformation from foreign parties that could potentially harm national interests.

“Do not view this as an effort to weaken democracy—no. We strengthen our democracy within our society; only disinformation, especially foreign propaganda, needs to be countered together,” he said.

Currently, the government is in the preparation stage for discussions and gathering multi-stakeholder opinions. According to Yusril, there is no concrete draft of the bill yet, and the academic paper has not been submitted to the House of Representatives (DPR) RI.

“It has not (been submitted to the DPR); we are still in the discussion stage gathering ideas, because realising it into a legislative formation plan still requires discussions with the DPR’s Legislation Body (Baleg),” he said.

Nevertheless, he hopes that all parties will agree on the importance of this bill for Indonesia’s interests. Because, Yusril said, propaganda often occurs in the current international chessboard.

“Not infrequently, one country accuses another, from the top leadership to the public: doing this, doing that, which is actually disinformation and propaganda from foreign parties, and I think it must be curbed and faced,” he stated.

He also cited an example of foreign propaganda that once hit Indonesia in the 1970s. Yusril recounted that at that time, there was propaganda about the dangers of coconut oil, even though Indonesia is rich in that plant.

He assessed that such narratives were foreign propaganda aimed at promoting their corn or soybean oil industries.

“Then, we planted oil palm and Indonesia became the world’s largest palm oil exporter. More propaganda, palm oil is like this; that is foreign disinformation, and we say ‘Oh yes, yes,’ even becoming a tool for foreign interests and damaging our own national interests,” he said.

According to Yusril, such narratives must be wary of. Indonesia, he stressed, must safeguard national interests.