VIVAnews - Deputy Head of Press Council Leo Batubara said settling a case on press coverage through criminal action will threaten press freedom. Should the court find that the press is guilty, everyone from reporters to chief-of-editors will be imprisoned.
Leo's statement was in line with a complaint that Indonesian tycoon and Coordinating Minister of People's Welfare Aburizal Bakrie brought to the Indonesian Press Council concerning a coverage in TEMPO magazine of 17-23 November 2008 edition (Indonesian version) entitled 'Bailing Out Bakrie?' According to Bakrie, the story written in the magazine was defamation.
"Imprisonment will disable press control. The complaint against TEMPO magazine to the Press Council was Aburizal's appreciation toward press control," said Leo Batubara after meeting with Aburizal Bakrie at the Indonesian Press Council office, Friday, Nov 28.
He said that penal sanction for press is serious, in which a fine of up to Rp 1 trillion (approx US$83.5 million) is attached. "This is a killing," said Leo.
If a conflict involving the press is settled by applying the Law on Press, a journalist making mistake in a coverage will keep being sanctioned. Yet, it will still consider press freedom.
Leo cited article 10 of Law on Press which stipulates that a media which is found guilty must revoke and rectify inaccurate news as well as publicize its apology to the readers.
Concerning the Aburizal case, Leo said that the Press Council will summon editors of TEMPO magazine to be questioned. "We'll decide whether or not there was a violation of code of ethics," he said.
Meanwhile, Aburizal said that he will abide by suggestion from the Press Council regarding his complaint. "Whatever result that the mediation concludes," Aburizal said.
Translated by: Bonardo Maulana Wahono
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