TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian government has responded to the latest criticism by the United Nations in regard to the country’s revised Criminal Code (KUHP), which was recently passed by the House on December 6. The UN highlighted a number of provisions that could potentially criminalize journalistic work and violate press freedom.

In response, the government asserted that Law No.40/1999 regarding Press has been adopted in the revised Criminal Code under Article 218.

"Criticism is not punished, because it is a form of supervision on matters relating to the public interests," said Albert Aries, spokesperson for the National Criminal Code Outreach Team, to Tempo, Friday, December 9.

According to him, the government certainly respects the UN's attention to issues related to equality, privacy, freedom of religion, and journalism. It is on this basis that the Criminal Code regulates all of this by taking into account the balance between human rights and human obligations, Aries asserted.

He also denied allegations suggesting that the revised Criminal Code is not compatible with the values of human rights. “It’s important to assert that the Criminal Code does not discriminate against women, children, and other minority groups, and also the press,” said Aries.

Apart from that, he considered it inappropriate to say that the Criminal Code legitimizes negative social attitudes toward adherents of minority beliefs.

He believes the KUHP’s regulation overseeing criminal acts against religion and belief has actually been reformulated by taking into account the Convention on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), as well as input from civil society groups.

FAJAR PEBRIANTO

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