CULTURAL ANALYSIS
The Snobby Disease
In some countries, defamation laws are used to balance freedom of expression. However, there are two major differences from the Indonesian government’s proposal.
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Activists hold a demonstration in front of the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Tuesday (8/1/2019).
An article on insults against state officials was abolished by the Constitutional Court in 2006. Now it appears again as an offense in the draft revision of the Criminal Code. The old controversy grows again. What is ambiguous in public debate needs to be clarified.
According to Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Hamonangan Laoly, freedom of expression should be balanced with the protection of the good name of others. In such an abstract formulation, his statement is correct. But it does not mean the use of the article on insults is a concrete step to support balance.
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