TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Freedom of press and expression has been flourishing in Indonesia since the reformation era. This has helped Indonesia in fighting the deep rooted corruption in many different agencies. Nevertheless, there are efforts to overthrow those freedom by criminalizing the media and people who acts as the watchdog of governmental organizations.

Troels Vester, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Indonesia Country Manager said on last week, that the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), through its Article 13 requires that the state promotes participation of the society in the fight against corruption. “That includes respecting, promoting and protecting the freedom to seek, receive, publish and disseminate information concerning corruption,” he added.

However, Vester said that freedom may be subject to some restrictions to respect of the rights or reputations of others and for the protection of national security. “So it’s important to balance between promoting and protecting the freedom of journalists and civil society to seek, receive and publish and disseminate information on the one hand and considerations that may limit that right,” he said.

Earlier in January, the National Police Criminal Investigation Directorate (Bareskrim) filed a charge against Tempo weekly magazine, January 19-25 edition, with the cover “The General’s Account”. The Indonesian General Society Movement accused Tempo of leaking the state’s secret in related to the Commissioner General Budi Gunawan’s article.

Amanda Siddharta