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Censorship overshadows democratic achievements
Jakarta Post - December 1, 2016
The 2015 IDI scored 72.82 points out of 100, down 0.22 points from the previous year, which according to the BPS, reveals stagnancy in the country's efforts to uphold democracy.
Protection of civil liberties in the country declined by 2.32 points from 82.62 in 2014 to 80.3 in 2015. However, it scored higher than two other components, namely political rights and democratic institutions that scored 70.63 and 66.87 points, respectively.
"Restriction, intimidation and violence against people who want to express their opinions are still happening, both by state authorities and the masses," BPS head Suharyanto said.
The BPS conducted the study in cooperation with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the Office of the Coordinating Political, Legal and Human Rights Affairs Minister and the Home Ministry.
Suharyanto noted that last year, violence against journalists was on the rise. Some reporters experienced beatings, had their work equipment destroyed and were stopped from doing their jobs.
The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) recorded 46 cases of violence against journalists in 2015, up from 40 in 2014 and 39 in 2013. Among the 46 cases, AJI data claimed that the police were responsible in at least 14 cases.
Numerous academic discussions and film screenings on the 1965 communist purge were also banned throughout the year, including in Jakarta and Bali.
The 2015 annual Ubud Writers and Readers Festival was forced to cancel a series of panel discussions on the 1965 tragedy as well as the screening of Joshua Oppenheimer's film The Look of Silence following scrutiny by local authorities.
The Jakarta Arts Council's (DKJ) plan to schedule a reading and discussion of a drama script titled Family Album: #50years1965 in early December 2015 was also banned by the Jakarta Police due to fears of trouble from opponents of the event.
Siti Musdah Mulia from the State Islamic University (UIN) Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, a member of an expert team who participated in drafting the IDI, said some regulations issued by the government hampered the protection of people's freedom of expression, especially in the religious aspect.
"For example, the law on building houses of worship presents an obstacle for some religious groups who want to establish houses of worship in areas where they are not of the majority religion," Siti said.
Ahmadiyah and Shia Muslim communities have experienced numerous attacks in past years, including their mosques being shut down by authorities who bow down to pressure from people of the majority group that reject their beliefs and teachings.
In mid-2015, the South Jakarta administration sealed the An Nur Ahmadiyah mosque in Tebet following an incident in which a crowd of locals protested the mosque's presence, saying that the use of a house to perform Friday prayers was forbidden.
Members of the Indonesian Christian Church (GKI) Yasmin and the Filadelfia Batak Church (HKBP Filadelfia) celebrated their third Christmas in 2015 without a roof, on the street outside the State Palace in Jakarta. Their church buildings in Bogor and Bekasi, respectively, have been denied permits by the local administrations.
During the event on Wednesday to announce the IDI, Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto awarded several provinces for their achievements in their efforts to promote democracy.
He said civil liberties should be limited by the supremacy of law. "It is impossible for freedom to go beyond the supremacy of law. If [this principle] is violated, the state will descend into chaos," he said.
Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/01/censorship-overshadows-democratic-achievements.html.
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