Publishing date: Feb 23, 2021 • February 23, 2021 • 2 minute read •
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JAKARTA Indonesia’s police chief has called on officers to use greater discretion when enforcing the country’s internet law, following government signals the legislation, which has ensnared journalists, academics and opposition figures, will be reviewed.
The 2008 electronic information and transactions (ITE) law, which regulates online activity including defamation and hate speech, has long drawn criticism for its broad interpretation.
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In a circular issued late on Monday, national police chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo urged officers to use discretion when investigating reports of digital infringements, and prioritize “restorative justice” such as mediation rather than prosecution.
By a special Asia Pacific Report correspondent in Jakarta
It was September 2019, and exiled Indonesian human rights lawyer Veronica Koman was enjoying her final days in Australia. Her studies at the Australian National University in Canberra were almost over and all that was left was to wait for graduation day.
One afternoon, Koman’s mobile phone rang. There was an SMS message from a friend in Indonesia.
Her colleague informed her that the police had declared Koman a suspect.
Since August 17, 2019, the Papua issue had been heating up. Racist actions by rogue security personnel against Papuan students in the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya had triggered a wave of public anger.
Indonesian govt moves to revise controversial cyberlaw
Teams set up to look at catch-all articles that many say are being used to target govt critics
Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud MD says his ministry has formed two teams to amend a controversial law that critics say has catch-all articles aimed at stifling dissent. (Photo: Screenshot of Mahfud MD’s video message)
The Indonesian government has formed two teams to look at revising a controversial law regulating electronic information and transactions that rights and Catholic groups claim is oppressive
The move follows President Joko Widodo’s call to re-examine provisions in the Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law that the groups say consist of catch-all articles that undermine civil liberties and freedom of expression.
JAKARTA (The Jakarta Post/ANN): President 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 criticised 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.
Indonesia is the latest government to propose a legal framework to coerce social media platforms, apps, and other online service providers to accept local jurisdiction over their content and users’ data policies and practices. And in many ways, its proposal is the most invasive of human rights.
This rush of national regulations started with Germany’s 2017 “NetzDG” law, which compels internet platforms to remove or block content without a court order and imposes draconian fines on companies that don’t proactively submit to the country s own content-removal rules. Since NetzDG entered into force, Venezuela, Australia, Russia, India, Kenya, the Philippines, and Malaysia have followed with their own laws or been discussing laws similar to the German example.