Komunitas Pers Desak Polri Tidak Kriminalisasi Jurnalis
Indonesian Press Communities Urge Police to not Criminalize Journalists
Editor : Ismail Gani
Translator : Novita Cahyadi
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Jakarta (B2B) - Aliansi Jurnalis Independen (AJI) mendesak Polri untuk tidak memproses segala bentuk pengaduan terkait perselisihan yang diakibatkan karya jurnalistik yang semestinya diselesaikan melalui Dewan Pers, sesuai mekanisme dalam Undang-Undang Pers.
"Perselisihan yang diakibatkan pemberitaan seharusnya diselesaikan melalui mekanisme seperti diatur oleh UU Pers, yakni melalui Dewan Pers," ujar Ketua Umum Aliansi Jurnalis Independen (AJI) Suwarjono dalam pernyataan sikap bersama Ikatan Jurnalis Televisi Indonesia (IJTI), Persatuan Wartawan Indonesia (PWI) dan Lembaga Bantuan Hukum (LBH) Pers, di Gedung Dewan Pers, Jakarta, Kamis.
Menurut Jono sapaan Suwarjono, pernyataan bersama itu, disampaikan terkait dengan langkah kepolisian yang tengah memproses laporan Ketua Gerakan Masyarakat Bawah Indonesia yang telah mengadukan Majalah Tempo terkait dengan pemberitaaan harta kekayaan Komjen Pol Budi Gunawan dan aliran dana ke sejumlah pihak.
Jono mengatakan bahwa AJI, IJTI, PWI dan LBH Pers memandang pemberitaan kekayaan Budi Gunawan oleh Majalah Tempo telah sesuai dengan kaidah jurnalistik sebagaimana diatur UU Pers.
Dalam UU Pers pasal 4 disebutkan, untuk menjamin kemerdekaan pers, pers nasional mempunyai hak mencari, memperoleh dan menyebarluaskan gagasan dan informasi. Dan di dalam pasal 6 disebutkan pers berperan melakukan pengawasan, kritik, koreksi dan saran terhadap hal-hal yang berkaitan dengan kepentingan umum.
Selain itu dalam pasal 8 dinyatakan, dalam melaksanakan profesinya jurnalis mendapat perlindungan hukum.
"Untuk itu kepolisian hendaknya menangani kasus Tempo dengan menggunakan prosedur sengketa jurnalistik yang telah diatur UU Pers," jelas dia.
Dia menegaskan, langkah kepolisian yang tengah memproses langkah terkait Majalah Tempo membuka peluang kriminalisasi terhadap media dan jurnalis. Hal ini tidak hanya bertentangan dengan UU Pers, melainkan juga mengancam tugas dan fungsi pers sebagai pilar penting tegaknya demokrasi di Indonesia.
"Apabila upaya memproses laporan ini dilanjutkan, maka langkah memidanakan jurnalis dan media akibat memberitakan kasus-kasus dugaan korupsi berpotensi mengancam semua media dan jurnalis di Indonesia," tegas dia.
Sementara itu Ketua PWI Bidang Multimedia Priyambodo meminta kalangan pers mewaspadai kasus Tempo ini yang dapat memecah belah kebebasan pers.
Pria yang akrab disapa Bob itu menilai kasus yang mendera Majalah Tempo dapat mengindikasikan adanya upaya menggesek keberadaan kalangan pers dengan kepolisian, atau justru mengarah kepada pelanggaran nota kesepahaman antara Dewan Pers dengan Kepolisian Republik Indonesia.
"Kita harus waspada, ada kecenderungan yang membuat terpecah belah. Kita punya fakta jurnalistik, dan memiliki kode etik jurnalistik serta UU Pers," jelas Bob. (Ant)
Jakarta (B2B) - The Independent Journalists Alliance of Indonesia, known as the AJI have urged the Indonesian National Police to desist from processing any complaint submitted to them related to a dispute over journalistic reporting, which is supposed to be settled through a Press Council.
"Dispute caused by news reporting should be settled through a mechanism regulated by the Press Law, namely the Press Council," General Chairman of the Suwarjono noted in a joint statement issued by the AJI, the Indonesian Television Journalists Association (IJTI), the Indonesia Journalists Association (PWI), and the Press Legal Aid Institute (LBH Pers) at the Press Council Building here on Thursday.
The statement was issued following recent action by the police to process a complaint made by the Indonesia Grass Root Community Movement against Tempo Weekly with regard to the magazines reporting about the wealth of Commissioner General Budi Gunawan and the disbursement of funds from him to several parties.
Suwarjono, who uses only one name, noted that the AJI, IJTI, PWI, and LBH Pers viewed the Tempo magazines report on Budi Gunawans wealth was not against journalistic principles regulated by the Press Law.
Article 4 of the Press Law guarantees national press freedom and the right to seek, obtain, and spread information and ideas, while Article 6 states the role of the press that includes conducting monitoring, criticism, correction, and giving suggestions with regard to matters related to the general publics interests.
Meanwhile, according to Article 8, journalists are protected by the law in carrying out their tasks.
"In view of that, the police, in handling the Tempo magazine case, must follow procedures used for dealing with journalistic dispute regulated in the Press Law," he emphasized.
He pointed out that the polices decision to process the Tempo case has provided an opportunity for the criminalization of the media and journalists, which is not only against the Press Law but also threatens the duties and functions of the press, which is an important pillar for upholding democracy in Indonesia.
"If the process of criminalizing the (Tempo) journalists and media for reporting on an alleged corruption case is continued, it will potentially threaten all media outfits and journalists in Indonesia," he stressed.
Meanwhile, PWI Chairman for Multimedia Priyambodo RH urged journalists to be alert regarding the Tempo case as it has the potential to hurt the freedom of press.
He stated that the challenge faced by Tempo could be an indication of the efforts to create a clash between journalists and the police or even a violation of memorandum of understanding inked by the Press Council and the Indonesian police.
"We must be careful because there is a tendency to create divisions. We have journalistic facts, the code of ethics, and the Press Law," he noted.
