(RSF/IFEX) – The following statement was released by RSF on 29 May 1998: Two Indonesian journalists were released from jail on 28 May 1998, on the orders of the justice ministry. Andy Syahputra, who runs the printing works that handles the banned magazine of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (Suara Independen – AJI), was arrested […]
(RSF/IFEX) – The following statement was released by RSF on 29 May 1998:
Two Indonesian journalists were released from jail on 28 May 1998, on the
orders of the justice ministry. Andy Syahputra, who runs the printing works
that handles the banned magazine of the Alliance of Independent Journalists
(Suara Independen – AJI), was arrested on 28 October 1996 and sentenced to
30 months in prison on 7 April 1997 for “insulting President Suharto” (see
IFEX alerts of 11 August and 24 February 1997). The charges against Wandy
Toturong, of “Sinar Pagi”, have been dropped. He was arrested on 9 March
1998 for covering a banned meeting (see IFEX alert of 13 March 1998).
RSF welcomes this news but considers that the release of journalists
represents only a first step in progress towards total respect for press
freedom in the country.
Indonesian law still makes it possible to ban any publication. The SIUPP
(Surat Izin Usaha Penerbitan Pers), the licence granted to newspapers and
magazines under the terms of the 1982 press law, may be revoked by the
authorities at any time. Under President Suharto’s government, this clause
was used to suspend the magazines “Tempo”, “DeTik” and “Editor” in June
1994. In fact, only newspapers which had government approval were given
licences.
Meanwhile, a ministerial decree issued in 1984 gave the Information Minister
full power to arbitrarily ban any publication which he did not regard as
“responsible.”
In recent years, journalists have been imprisoned in Indonesia because of
various articles in the criminal code that restrict press freedom.
Journalists and AJI members Ahmad Taufik and Eko Maryadi were sentenced to
32 months in prison in September 1995 for “hatred toward the government”
under articles 134, 154 and 155 of the criminal code, after they raised the
question of who President Suharto’s successor might be (for more information
on this case see IFEX alerts of 1 September and 16 June 1995).
The 1996 broadcasting law also stifles basic freedoms: commercial television
channels are obliged to put out official government information and those
that fail to comply face a fine and/or a sentence of up to nine months in
jail (article 34); channels may not be launched to promote the interests of
political or religious organisations (article 9); and the news broadcast by
private channels is subject to government censorship (article 27).
RSF therefore calls on the new government to amend the 1982 press law so as
to abolish the SIUPP licensing system, and to introduce a system of
registering publications that is independent of the government. We also call
for the 1984 ministerial decree to be repealed. RSF calls for a new
broadcasting law that respects diversity in the presentation of news and
allows the creation of private channels that are totally independent of the
authorities. Finally, RSF calls on the new Indonesian government to
undertake to sign and ratify the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights, article 19 of which states that: “Everyone shall have the
right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek,
receive and impart information…”
