According to the country’s Press Council, changes to Law No. 40 of 1999 will strengthen government controls over media at the expense of democracy. New bill would entail shutting publications that print news or pictures which are deemed unethical, threaten national security or disparage certain religions.

Jakarta (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Indonesia’s Press Council has called on the government to cancel its plan to revise Law No. 40 of 1999 on the press because it could restore government control over mass media, something that was in place under Suharto’s dictatorship.

A debate has been underway for the part two months over plans by the Information and Communication Ministry to revise the press law.

In the new bill, article 4 (paragraph 2) stipulates the government has the right to shut down media companies that publish news or pictures which are unethical, threaten national security or disparage certain religions. It would also require media companies to seek government permission before going into business.

Some activists fear that should the bill become law the country would be taken back to the Suharto period (1967-1998) when the media was under tight censorship control and any criticism of the government was made difficult.

For Press Council member Abdullah Alamudi, the existing press law “isn't perfect, but it's the best (press law) in our country's history.”

“In a democratic country, the press [. . .] should be controlled by the public because it is the extension of the public's hands,” he said.

• indonesia
• press
• law
• reform
• press
• council
• suharto
• dictatorship
• 1967-1998