[nasional_list] [ppiindia] Reality check for freedom
- From: "Ambon" <sea@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <"Undisclosed-Recipient:;"@freelists.org>
- Date: Thu, 9 Feb 2006 04:37:45 +0100
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**http://www.thejakartapost.com/detaileditorial.asp?fileid=20060209.E01&irec=0
Reality check for freedom
The uproar over the cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad has yet to blow over.
Violent protests continue, while even more editors decide to reprint the
pictures, and as the list of casualties rises. But however ugly this affair has
become, it cannot change the tenet of the press; a public, free forum for an
exchange of information, ideas and expression -- that the decision to print or
not to print should remain with the media, and the media alone.
This is not a belief that everyone shares, especially in the light of the
ongoing furor. But the belief that there should be no censorship of the press
must be the consensus of the Indonesian media and its public, particularly as
we are reminded over and over again that civil liberties, such as freedom of
speech and the press, are not to be taken for granted.
Today is officially National Press Day, an opportune time to take stock of our
freedoms. A glance at the list of bills that our legislators are preparing
suggests that they don't want the public to have all that much freedom. Take,
for instance, the bills on pornography and state secrecy.
There is also the bill on freedom of access to information, which seems to have
stalled, and the controversial new regulations on broadcasting. These
regulations impact upon foreign, private and community broadcasters, and are
seen as a potential entry point for government intervention in press freedom.
They are thus a clear reminder for the public to be vigilant of the
government's penchant to control what their citizens can hear, view or listen
to. The government claims to be a "facilitator" for the media, while its
authority in affairs such as content of media programs, as mentioned in the
regulations, raises questions about how far the facilitator will keep its
distance from the electronic media and the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission.
Broadcast associations said last week that they accepted the regulations,
despite protests from other media organizations and the Commission. They said
that while the regulations may not be perfect, at least they would be able to
operate under clear legal guidelines.
Apart from the new regulations, the press still faces daily challenges. In a
rally to highlight national press day, journalists in Bandung on Tuesday
"apologized" in public for, among other things, bowing to business and
government pressure, and "for our stupidity in accepting bribes."
Such pressure and gross lack of professionalism -- the wide acceptance of
bribes being just one example -- contributes to the support which the
government and politicians can gain in their attempts to curb media freedom.
This is made much easier by the absence of a consensus on the need for
liberties, such as press freedom and freedom of expression. Whether our need
for a "Big Brother" is based in culture or not, it remains a legacy of living
for three decades under the Soeharto regime, despite all the euphoria over
reformasi. The need for independent thought and expression, the media being
among the public channels for such independence, must be campaigned for
constantly.
And a less than professional press, which is still a feature of much of our
media, is a major enemy of itself, for it obstructs freedom and the ability of
the public to access the information that shapes their lives.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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Berdikusi dg Santun & Elegan, dg Semangat Persahabatan. Menuju Indonesia yg
Lebih Baik, in Commonality & Shared Destiny.
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