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ALERT - INDONESIA

20 December 1996

Broadcasting bill passed

SOURCE: Institute for the Studies on Free Flow of Information
(ISAI), Jakarta

(ISAI/IFEX) - On 9 December 1996, the Indonesian House of
Representatives passed the country's first broadcasting bill
which lays the legal foundation for censorship and government
scrutiny of all types of media. Abu Hasana Sazili, chairman of
the parliamentary committee overseeing the broadcasting bill,
said that the bill now has to be signed into law by President
Suharto, but no date has been set.

The proposed law mentions "special broadcasting media", an
allusion to the Internet, saying that it should not be used to
destabilise the nation either through the distribution of
pornographic and violent material or political propaganda. Abu
added that the proposed law will also allow the state-owned
Televisi Republik Indonesia (TVRI) to carry selected advertising,
such as public service advertising, but not commercial product
advertising so that it would not be in direct competition with
the country's five privately-owned television stations. He denied
earlier media reports that the government had bowed to pressure
from privately owned-stations not to allow TVRI to carry
advertising. President Suharto's children control three of
Indonesia's privately-owned stations, RCTI, TPI and SCTV. The
other stations, AN-teve and Indosiar, are controlled respectively
by one of his associates and business tycoon Liem Sioe Liong.

Critics said that the bill is repressive on the grounds that it
would allow the government, not the courts, to license
broadcasters. The bill would give the government the right to
stop the operation of a broadcaster while waiting for the result
of the court's decision on whether that broadcaster's licence is
to be revoked or approved.

For further information, contact Andreas Harsono at ISAI, Jl.
Utan Kayu 68-H, Jakarta 13120, Indonesia, tel:+62 21 856 9281,
fax:+62 21 856 7529, e-mail: isai@rad.net.id

The information contained in this alert is the sole
responsibility of ISAI. In citing this material for broadcast or
publication, please credit ISAI.
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