Indonesia: Media warns of threat to freedom on press

June 15, 2012 / MariaNews.com 

Indonesia: Media warns of threat to freedom on press 

JAKARTA – A media coalition warned yesterday that a pending bill on mass organizations posed a threat to press freedom as it joined a growing chorus of criticism of the draft legislation.

Amir Effendi Siregar, a member of the Independent Coalition for the Democratization of Broadcasting (KIDP), said the proposed law would reduce the scope of news media to cover political currents outside of Pancasila, the five principles enshrined in the 1945 constitution.

These include a united Indonesia, democracy guided by consensus and belief in one God, meaning the new law would, in theory, prevent mention of ideologies such as Marxism and capitalism when discussed by certain groups, he said.

“This regulation is dangerous for media, press and journalism organizations,” said Siregar, who is also head of Media Regulation and Regulator Watch. “How can journalists not mention ideologies, which are against Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution, in their publications?”

The government has worked with a special committee to discuss the fine print of the draft legislation since the middle of last month.

Read More: http://www.ucanews.com/2012/06/15/media-warns-of-press-freedom-threat/

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