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Pressure on for Indonesian police to end online witch hunt
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Illustration of defamation. (Shutterstock.com/File)
P
resident Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has instructed the National Police to devise a guideline for the law enforcement body in handling online defamation cases amid rising concerns that the nation’s cyberlaw has been repeatedly abused to silence government critics.
The draconian Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law and its vague provisions on what constitutes defamation on the web have long been criticized by activists for curbing freedom of speech and expression in the country.
Addressing an annual joint meeting of the police and the military on Monday, Jokowi said he was aware that the implementation of the law had often incurred “a sense of unfairness” among the public and therefore called the police to selectively process cases that violate the law.
“I order National Police chief [Listyo Sigit Prabowo] to ensure that the police are more selective in receiving [and processing] reports of ITE Law violations. [Cases related to] articles that can invite multiple interpretations should be treated carefully,” the President said. “[The police must] draft an official interpretation guideline of such cases to make it clearer.”
He also ordered Listyo to ensure that the implementation of the law was more consistent, accountable and just.
“If the ITE Law cannot bring fairness, [the government] will work together with the House of Representatives to revise the law […] particularly erasing the articles that offer multiple interpretations,” Jokowi said.
Read also: Nuril case reinforces need for ITE Law revision
