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anelists of a media seminar in Depok, West Java, have noted a lack of uniformity in upholding freedom of expression in Indonesia.

Ade Armando, a communications lecturer at the University of Indonesia (UI), said the country was facing a dynamic situation on its journey to ensure freedom of expression. He added that the annual conference was a platform to seek agreement on the matter.

“At this conference we are not only comparing the freedom of expression across the world; this is a 10-year movement to push the world to believe in the freedom of expression and the freedom of the press,” Ade said on Monday.

Ade was speaking on the opening day of the three-day Global Intermedia Dialgoue (GIMD), held at the UI campus.

More than 30 delegates, mostly from a journalistic background, attended the annual event this year. GIMD was initiated by Indonesian and Norwegian political leaders to discuss central issues concerning the freedom of expression across the world. Monday’s discussion focused on the situation in Indonesia.

“The first session has told us that the freedom of expression in Indonesia is better than in Pakistan, for instance, and that it is a challenge for us to maintain it,” Ade concluded.

He said Indonesia had enjoyed an increase in the freedom of expression.

“Indonesia’s democratization started with the end of [the Soeharto era], during which many Islamic movements could not express their opinion, since the media was very restricted.”

Ade expressed great concern about the freedom of expression today, following the emergence of social media, which sometimes emotionally charged sensitive issues to an excessive degree, prompting the government to ban several websites.

“The big question will be how much intolerance to tolerate; many social media outlets in Indonesia portray intolerance. That can be dangerous in some ways, and it comes from religious groups,” he said.

Meanwhile, senior journalist Bambang Harymurti expressed appreciation for Indonesia’s progress on the freedom of expression, citing an agreement by the Supreme Court and the National Police to refer any journalism-related case to the Press Council.

“This agreement has saved a lot of journalists from being detained. It is quite effective,” he said.

Bambang added that in the era of globalization, the enemy of freedom of expression was no longer only the government, but it could be civil society itself.

Speaking about his own country, Norwegian journalist Atta Ansari said that “the freedom of expression is currently implemented very well.”

Meanwhile, Elisabeth Eide, a professor of journalism at Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Science, said the freedom of expression was influenced by the people, as they were the ones who could create controversies between each other in different contexts.

“Cartoons may be interpreted in different ways, depending on the context,” said Eide.
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The writer is an intern at The Jakarta Post.