Indonesia’s Constitutional Court annuls articles on insult against president

The Alliance of Independent Journalist (AJI) Indonesia welcomes a Constitutional Court ruling stating that three articles of law prohibiting insult of the president - namely, Article 134, Article 136 bis, and Article 137 of the Criminal Code - are not legally binding because they violate the 1945 Constitution.

According to local news site “Tempo Interaktif”, in July 2006, lawyer Eggy Sudjana and political activist Pandapotan Lubis applied for a constitutional review of the articles, which they said violated Article 27 point (1), Article 28, Article 28E point (2) and point (3), Article 28F, and Article 28j point (1) and point (2) of the 1945 Constitution.

In its ruling on the matter on 6 December 2006, the Constitutional Court stressed that the provisions were invalid because they were overridden by the principle of equality before the law. The provisions also curbed freedom of expression, freedom of information and the principle of legal certainties. The provisions created legal uncertainties because of its arbitrary interpretation of protests and statements of opinion as criticisms or insults against the president.

Cambodian local authority stops citizens from flying kites in demand for free expression

The Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) is disappointed that the Cambodian local authority of Daun Penh District in Phnom Penh has prevented an attempt by its citizens to fly kites as a means of expressing their demand for legal reforms to allow for peaceful demonstration in public places.

Twenty-eight members of the Alliance for Freedom of Expression in Cambodia (AFEC) had attempted to fly 100 “Kites for Freedom of Expression” in the park in front of the National Assembly building on the morning of 27 November 2006.

The kites bore an “f”, for “freedom of expression”. The organisers had wanted to draw the analogy of the wind being to the kite, what press freedom is to society.

Two radio broadcasters shot in Philippines

Two radio journalists were injured when two unidentified men fired their guns at them on 1 December 2006 in Estancia, Iloilo province, about 400km south of Manila, reports the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility.

Malaysia’s ‘moral guardian’ ministry restricts books for ‘offensive’ content

The following publications are among scores that have been barred from some customs checkpoints in Malaysia for their “offensive” content - that is, of a sexual or violent nature, or of liberal Western ideas that are “not conducive” to Malaysian society:

Al-Qaeda: Casting a Shadow of Terror The True Story of Radical Islam; Anatomy for the Artist; Beauty of Yixing Teapots; The Heart of Tantric Sex; Fashion Illustration Next; The Private Life of Chairman Mao; Disney’s Counting Adventures Sound Activity Book, The Photographer’s Guide to Composition; Practice of Business Statistics; E-tales: The Best (and Worst) of Internet Humour; How to Talk to Your Child About Sex; Music for Sleepy Babies; The Probability of God; Breastfeeding Your Baby; Making Globalization Work.

And also Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children and Shalimar the Clown, Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s Memories of My Melancholy Whores, Anthony Burgess’ The Malayan Trilogy and Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart (the full list is available here), reports the “Sun”. SEAPA and the Centre for Independent Journalism have issued alerts on this.

Malaysia floats Internet laws to rein in bloggers

Malaysia’s The Star newspaper quotes a senior science and technology official as saying that Kuala Lumpur needs to update its cyber laws to help rein in “irresponsibility” the country’s burgeoning blogging community. Deputy Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Kong Cho Ha told the paper that “we need to have stricter cyber laws to prevent these bloggers from disseminating disharmony, chaos, seditious material and lies… We are talking about creating cyber laws to control those who misuse the Internet.” Kong added: “We want our bloggers to be responsible, to keep within the rules and not put up seditious articles that can create disharmony and chaos.”

Provincial governor in Cambodia threatens radio journalist for reporting on land issues

A provincial governor has warned a radio journalist for reporting on land disputes and illegal logging, accusing him of inciting disaffection among the people.

Philippine radio broadcaster-activist killed

CMFR/Philippines - A broadcaster was gunned down by an unidentified assassin on 27 November in Cagayan, a province more than 320km north of Manila.