Press Statement: Oppose Oligarchy, Media Must Defend Democracy

Our democracy is under threat once again. This is increasingly evident in the current political situation, where those in power are undermining the constitution for the sake of pragmatic power interests.

Recently, the ruling elites brazenly annulled two Constitutional Court decisions. The first, Decision No. 60/PUU-XXII/2024, relaxed the candidacy threshold for regional head elections for all political parties. The second, Decision No. 70/PUU-XXII/2024, reinforced the requirement that the age threshold for regional head candidates must be met at the time of registration.

The effort to annul these two decisions of the highest constitutional body was arrogantly showcased through the hasty legislative process of the Regional Election Bill (RUU Pilkada), which clearly did not adhere to the principles of lawmaking. There is a foul smell behind the intent to revise this election law following the Constitutional Court’s decision, raising questions about the future of our constitution and democracy.

This is not the first time power has been misused in the legislative process. Several critical regulations have been rushed through, such as the Job Creation Law, the Mining Law, the revision of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Law, and the Capital City Law (IKN), all without transparency and public participation. Meanwhile, many other bills that are more urgently needed for the public interest, such as the Indigenous Peoples Bill, the Asset Forfeiture Bill, and the Personal Data Protection Bill, remain sidelined.

In this situation, the role of the press and journalists as the fourth pillar of democracy must not waver in the face of attempts by those in power to undermine democracy. If the Constitutional Court’s decisions can be annulled in an instant, it is not impossible that laws guaranteeing freedom of the press, speech, and expression could gradually be dismantled, leading us into an era of darkness. This effort has already been attempted through the proposed revision of the Broadcasting Law, which leans towards granting the state control over broadcast content.

Given the current situation, the professional press should deliver sharp criticism of the government to safeguard the future of freedom and democracy. The Jokowi administration may not have shut down the media, but many practices over time have indeed threatened press freedom, freedom of speech, and expression. These include increasing violence against journalists, repression of criticism in the digital realm, and attempts to “purchase” editorial space to build a positive image of controversial policies opposed by the public.

For these reasons, we, who are part of the Coalition of Media Organizations, declare and call for the following:

1. Our democracy is under threat, and the press must defend it.

2. Remind the media and journalists to remain independent and professional in reporting the truth, and to not fear presenting accurate, critical, and verified information, resisting external interventions.

3. Amid the current political turmoil, remind the government to ensure the protection of the media and journalists in carrying out their journalistic work of reporting information to the public.

4. Urge the government to guarantee freedom of speech and expression for citizens by not repressing opinions and criticism across various channels, including digital spaces.

Jakarta, August 22, 2024

COALITION OF MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS (in alphabetical order)

1. Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI)
2. Indonesian Cyber Media Association (AMSI)
3. Legal Aid Institute for the Press (LBH Pers)
4. Society of Indonesian Environmental Journalists (SIEJ)
5. Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) Jaya
6. Indonesian Photojournalists (PFI)
7. Journalists’ Union for Diversity (SEJUK)
8. Media and Creative Industry Workers’ Union for Democracy (SINDIKASI)
9. Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network (SAFEnet)