Freest press in Southeast Asia?

RSF’s 2007 press freedom index (rankings for Southeast Asia):

Cambodia tops the list (ranked 85 in the world), followed by Timor-Leste (94), Indonesia (100), Malaysia (124), Philippines (128), Thailand (135), Singapore (141), Laos (161), Vietnam (162), Burma (164). Find out why.

Brunei is not ranked due to lack of data.

‘Playboy Indonesia’ editor acquitted

Playboy Indonesia editor-in-chief Erwin Arnada has been cleared of distributing indecent pictures and profiting from them. Chief Judge Erfan Basyuning ruled that pictures of scantily dressed women, under criminal laws, was not pornography. 

Erwin had faced nearly three years in prison in a case closely watched by conservative Muslims in the country, who had tried to disrupt the trial and intimidate those involved, according to SEAPA founding member, The Alliance of Indenpendent Journalists (AJI). Islamic hardliners vandalised Playboy’s offices in south Jakarta after the magazine was launched. Playboy Indonesia now operates from the Hindu island of Bali. More here.

SEAPA: Death of two videopersons covering probe on Indonesian ferry fire, a bitter reminder on journalists’ safety

The Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) is saddened over the deaths of broadcast journalists Suherman, 31, and Muhammad Guntur, 36, who were killed on 25 February 2007, in Jakarta, Indonesia, while covering an investigation into a ferry fire that cost some 50 lives.

Both were camerapersons for private broadcasters - Suherman was with SCTV; and Muhammad Guntur, Lativi. According to the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), the two were among 18 journalists accompanying experts from the National Committee for Transport Safety and Forensic Laboratory Center on board the wrecked ferry when it listed and sank without warning. According to reports, all the journalists were not wearing life vests.

Police investigate newspaper for defaming and maltreating broadcast journalist

The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) Indonesia has written to the Kupang municipality police in East Nusa Tenggara province to express concern over an investigation into the “Harian Kursor” newspaper for alleged defamation and maltreatment of a broadcast correspondent.

“Harian Kursor” was alleged to have breached articles 311 and 355 of the Criminal Code in its report on the arrest of Harry Harzufri, the Kupang-based correspondent of private broadcaster Radio Citra Televisi Indonesia (RCTI), for suspected drug abuse. Harzufri was later released upon evidence to the contrary.

AJI calls on Indonesian government to protect journalists and press freedom

Following a year of intensifying threats and violence against journalists, the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), Indonesia is calling on the government to guarantee the safety of journalists and ensure a conducive environment for press freedom.

In a 3 January 2007 press release, AJI pointed out that Indonesia has yet to achieve “the essence of press and information freedom” that is stipulated in Article 28 of the country’s amended 1945 Constitution.

SEAPA welcomes annulment of ‘lèse majesté’ articles in Indonesia, urges for draft Criminal Code to reject curbs on free expression

The Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) welcomes the Indonesian Constitutional Court’s landmark ruling on 6 December 2006, which declared as unconstitutional the “lèse majesté” articles that criminalise insulting the president and vice-president.

Under the now annulled articles 134, 136, and 137 of the Criminal Code, anyone who disseminated, demonstrated openly or put up a writing or portrait containing an insult against the president or vice-president was liable to be imprisoned for up to six years. A legacy of the Dutch colonialists, these articles had been abused by the Suharto regime, silencing political opponents, critics, students and human rights activists.

We applaud the Court’s wisdom in recognising that such laws “hamper the freedom for conveying thoughts, orally or written, and the right to express (oneself),” as announced by the Constitutional Court Chair Jimly Asshiddiqie.

“Kompas Daily” fires journalist-cum-union-leader for refusing reassignment; AJI calls it a move to undermine union

The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) protests the dismissal of senior journalist Bambang Wisudo from “Kompas Daily” on 8 December 2006 and the intimidating manner in which it was done.

Bambang, who is also secretary of the Kompas Trade Union, has worked for the Jakarta-based newspaper for 15 years.

He was purportedly dismissed for refusing to be reassigned to Ambon, in the Maluku Province, 2,300km east of Jakarta.

However, AJI said that Wisudo’s reassignment was prompted by his efforts to improve the union’s reportage standards and address policies instituted by the newspaper’s management seen to be disruptive to workforce productivity and the readers.

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.

Indonesia’s defamation law challenged

An Indonesia political activist who was arrested for defaming President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is asking the country’s Constitutional Court to review the article on defamation in the Criminal Code.

AJI regrets Press Law not used in Teguh Santosa’s case

The following is a 20 September 2006 statement from AJI, a SEAPA member based in Indonesia:

On 20 September, the South Jakarta District Court made a preliminary decision against the executive editor of “Rakyat Merdeka Online”, Teguh Santosa. In their ruling, the judicial panel agreed to the defence made earlier by Teguh’s attorneys, the Advocacy Team to Defend Journalists, that the the legal basis used in the indictment was inaccurate, and dismissed the prosecutors’ indictment.