History of Censorship

The issuance of the law has a strong relation with Indonesia’s historical and political background.

Soekarno Era (1945-1966)

Since the country declared its independence from the Dutch colonial administration in 1945, the Indonesian government has started to impose censorship on publications. In 1963, for instance, Indonesia's first president Sukarno issued a law on publication banning, aimed mostly at books about liberalism that were against Sukarno's socialist ideology.

Soeharto Era (1966-1998)

Sukarno's successor, Soeharto, also banned certain publications in order to maintain “public order.” Individuals or institutions who expressed ideas that undermined the administration were detained. Mass media licenses would be revoked if they ran stories that opposed Soeharto's ideology.

Reform Era (1998-current)

After living under the authoritarian ruling of Soeharto for 32 years, the public has more freedom to speak in the reform era following the wave of public movement that forced Soeharto to step down in 1998. The reform era brought changes in the governmental system, from authoritarian to a more democratic system. Give me some more information on how this happened.

Even though the democratization has been changing in the past two decades, the corruptive system of the previous administration still strongly influences the current administration. The issuance of the Electronic and Transaction Law is a proof on the restriction of the freedom of expression.

In 2008, a number of non-governmental organizations filed a petition against the Article 27 of the law to the Constitutional Court. The petitioners argued that the article is open to multiple interpretations and may lead to an abuse. The law, they said, could also restrict information flow and limit public participation in monitoring the government. Moreover, there is a potential that the law could silence the press as the law has restricted the freedom of expression and the dissemination of information.

The Constitutional Court refused all the claims, arguing that the law guarantees people’s freedom from any threatening messages posted by individuals. The Court also said that the law was not against the Constitution or human rights as it was intended to protect the public.

Apart of the 2008 petition, are there any other public movements or petitions that similarly call for action to law revision? If so, how did they go? How are the media’s reactions upon the enforcement of the Electronic and Transactions Law? Please leave your comments below.