Human Rights Group React to Jokowi's ITE Law Statement
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17 February 2021 11:52 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s statement on the Information an Electronics Transactions Law (ITE Law) and how justice should be served by the law attracted a reaction from human rights group Amnesty International Indonesia Director, Usman Hamid.
Despite commending the President’s statement, Usman asserts that it must not merely only be a jargon “The first step the President must do as a follow up to his statement is by freeing people who were criminalized under the ITE Law for merely expressing their views freely,” Usman Hamid wrote in a statement on February 16.
The Amnesty Indonesia director said that the government is obliged to respect the rights of its people and the freedom of expression and speech that are expressed by theme even though it would seem to contradict the views the government holds firm.
He also urged police to put forth the perspective of human rights in upholding the law which will prevent law enforcement from violating the freedom of speech and expression.
Throughout 2020, the Amnesty International Indonesia recorded at least 119 cases of alleged violations towards freedom of expression charged under the ITE Law with 141 suspects, which include 18 activists and four journalists. This statistic is the most recorded number of ITE Law cases in the past six years. He said most who were charged expressed criticism against government policies.
However, Usman Hamid openly respects the positive intention conveyed by President Jokowi who urged the house of representatives (DPR) to revise troublesome laws within the ITE Law if it does not provide sufficient sense of justice and human rights.
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