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Activists demand release of complete Criminal Code draft
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University students protest revisions to the Criminal Code in front of the House of Representatives compound on Sept. 23, 2019. (JP/Donny Fernando)
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coalition of students and civil groups has demanded that the government release the complete draft revision of the Criminal Code, which they say is being rushed for passage out of the public eye in a move that echoes a series of recent legislative efforts.
Some 80 civil groups and student organizations signed an open letter to President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo on Thursday demanding that the latest draft bill be made publicly accessible before its planned passage in a House of Representatives plenary session next month. A similar letter has been sent to lawmakers.
"Apart from opening public access to the draft bill, we also demand [that policymakers allow meaningful] public participation that is not a mere formality,” said Citra Referandum of the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta), which forms part of the coalition.
“There should be enough time for us to discuss it together,” she said, noting that the bill, which would replace Indonesia’s colonial-era Criminal Code, would directly affect nearly everyone in the country.
She accused the government of trying to skirt public scrutiny by withholding the revisions.
The government and lawmakers say they have been seeking to soften some provisions in the bill in response to public outcry. In a meeting with House Commission III overseeing legal affairs late last month, Deputy Law and Human Rights Minister Edward OS Hiariej said the government had either reformulated or removed 14 problematic topics in the bill following what he described as a series of public consultations last year. This was less than the 24 topics that the coalition had demanded be reviewed.
Read also: Policymakers try to soften draconian provisions in Criminal Code bill
