Television watchdog Remotivi has accused the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) of being biased when it comes to minority-related issues, including on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transsexual (LGBT) persons.

Remotivi coordinator Muhammad Haikal said the KPI had functioned as a mediator instead of a regulator, in which it should have amplified the voices of minority groups.

"There is a tendency among those holding public positions to adopt values only of the majority. This is why the KPI functions as a mediator instead of the regulator that it should be," said Haikal at a workshop held by the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) in Jakarta on Sunday.

He further criticized the absence of broadcasting regulations that protected marginalized groups.

Meanwhile, AJI member Luviana voiced appreciation for the progress made in the drafting of the broadcasting code of conduct and program standards (P3SPS), which included articles prohibiting violence and stereotyping minority groups, including LGBT people, in the media.

"In this matter, AJI takes the position of supporting minorities, which means AJI respects LGBT minority issues that are widely considered taboo in the newsroom," she added. (ebf)

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