After sending four warning letters, the police and officials sealed off Era Baru radio station and confiscated their equipment in Batam, Riau Islands province, on Wednesday.
The move was protested by the radio management, who claimed it was due to the Chinese government’s pressure to Indonesian government on the grounds the radio had been airing activities by Falun Gong, a political organization banned by the Chinese.
P. Perangin-angin, head of the Batam Radio Frequency Spectrum Monitoring Agency, which sealed off the station on behalf of the Communications and Information Technology Ministry, said the move was based on the 1999 Communications Law, which required radio stations to obtain a permit for using frequencies, which are a public domain.
He said the Era Baru station airs programs on 106.500 FM, which frequency belongs to Sing FM radio.
“We’ll continue the criminal charges by examining the radio management for using the frequency without permit. This move is purely based on law. There has been no pressure, not even from the Chinese government.”
The agency head said based on the 2002 Broadcasting Law, every radio that airs programs without obtaining permits is punished by law. It may face up to two-years imprisonment or a Rp 2 billion (US$219,000) fine.
The radio management asked to bid goodbyes to their listeners but were turned down.
“We were not informed when the radio would be closed down. We’re told to maintain public order. This is authoritarian,” said the radio’s general manager Rachmat Pudiyanto.
Previously, Raymond Tan, director of PT Radio Suara Harapan Semesta, better known as Era Baru radio, was accompanied by Sholeh Ali from the Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) Press on Monday when disclosing the ministry’s warning, which claimed the station had disrupted another station’s frequency.
Raymond said Era Baru failed to get a permit from the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) for technical reasons: Full frequency.
Radio Era Baru has been operating since 2005 after obtaining a permit from Riau provincial administration. It requested a broadcast license from the KPI, which was rejected late 2007 without explanation, Raymond said.
He added he had appealed to the Supreme Court to challenge the KPI’s decision, but had received four warning letters instead.
Meanwhile, chairman of KPI in Riau Islands, Parlindungan Sihombing, welcomed the radio’s closure.
“We’ve been calling for strict action [against Era Baru radio] because what they did would tempt others [to air programs] without obtaining permits.”
The National Commission on Human Rights said earlier it would seek an explanation from the KPI and the ministry for its refusal to approve a broadcasting license to the radio, saying in terms of technical operation and substances, it had followed all existing regulations.
