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Freedom of the press not guaranteed under Constitution
Wikrama Iryans Abidin, a former Press Council member, criticized the Constitution for not explicitly providing freedom of the press
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ikramaIryans Abidin, a former Press Council member, criticized the Constitution fornot explicitly providing freedom of the press.
Article28 of the 1945 Constitution ' touted as a constitutional guarantee forpress freedom ' stipulates that freedom to associate and to assemble, toexpress written and oral opinions shall be regulated by law.
"Article28 does not mention explicitly that it protects the freedom of the pressfrom threats. It is implicit because it [along with the Constitution]was formulated during Japanese occupation. A colonial regime will neverguarantee press freedom," Wikrama said to The Jakarta Post on Sunday.
'Fordecades people took the phrase 'freedom ['¦] to express written and oralopinions' in Article 28 as a constitutional guarantee for freedom of thepress,' he said, 'but it is not'.
Therefore,he called for the amended Article to, once again, be amended to guarantee protectionfrom threats such as legal restrictions, which may threaten the freedom ofpress.
Press council chief Bagir Manan, however, said that even though the amended constitution did not clearly guarantee press freedom every citizen has the right to voice his or her opinion.(hrl/dic)
