The Committee to Protect Journalists issued a stern warning on Wednesday, denouncing proposed amendments to Indonesia’s broadcasting law as a significant threat to press freedom and a vital pillar of democracy. The committee urged for the immediate abandonment of these amendments to safeguard the principles of democracy.
Leaked details from a draft of the broadcast bill reveal concerning provisions that would restrict the dissemination of “exclusive investigative journalism” through electronic and television broadcasts. Additionally, the proposed changes include prohibitions on broadcasting LGBTQ content. However, the draft lacks clarity on the enforcement mechanism for the ban on investigative reporting, according to Reuters, which cited multiple press reports.
While lawmakers from Commission 1, the House committee overseeing the bill, have indicated that the revisions are preliminary and subject to alterations, the Committee to Protect Journalists contends that any modifications to the broadcasting law should reinforce, rather than jeopardize, press freedoms.
Initial discussions regarding amendments to the 2002 Broadcast Law commenced in 2020, with legislators citing the need for updates. If approved, the revised law would encompass all content broadcasted within Indonesia, including via online streaming platforms.
Reports suggest that the revised law could be enacted as early as September. However, a scheduled discussion on the bill within the House of Representatives, slated for Wednesday, was postponed at the request of the Gerindra Party, as per a Tempo report.
The proposed amendments come at a critical juncture for Indonesia’s democracy, particularly during the transition from outgoing President Joko Widodo to president-elect Prabowo Subianto. Prabowo, a former soldier with links to human rights abuses, including the disappearance of activists in the late 1990s, has faced both denial and acknowledgment of these allegations.
Critics, as cited in a South China Morning Post report, suggest that both Widodo and Prabowo may have motives to limit the media’s capacity to investigate their past actions.
Despite these developments, the House of Representatives and the Executive Office of the President did not respond immediately to the Committee to Protect Journalists’ request for comment, underscoring the urgency and gravity of the situation concerning press freedom in Indonesia.