Page 63 - Conflict, Terrorism, and the Media In Asia

52 Jonathan Woodier
first newspaper of general interest was the Bataviase Nouvelles, published in 1744 by
a Dutch national in Batavia (Jakarta). It was closed by the Dutch administration con-
cerned that it would provide space for criticism of the authoritarian administration.
As a result, strict censorship was put in place, and new publications were
discouraged, ensuring that ‘the country failed in having newspapers with a sub-
stantial history’ (Gunaratne 2000: 268). During the Japanese occupation
(1942–1945), the media was under the control of the Japanese and used for pro-
paganda purposes. No Dutch media were allowed. The Japanese closed all publi-
cations, allowing only a few to reopen. They introduced publishing licence
procedures to control the media which were subsequently ‘incorporated into the
armoury of the independent Indonesian government’ and used vigorously by
Suharto (Harsono 2000: 79–80). This close control was continued by the Dutch,
when they were restored to a shaky position of power by the British after the
surrender of the Japanese. In 1945, a third of Indonesia’s press disappeared.
Early independence brought some freedoms: under the 1945 constitution the
freedom of speech and of the press were provided under the law, and when
Independence was granted in 1949, commentators suggest it ushered in ‘an era of
press freedom plus western liberal democracy’ (Sinaga 1989: 27–39). However,
this period drew to a close in 1959, when independent Indonesia’s founding father
President Sukarno introduced the era of ‘guided democracy’, requiring publica-
tion permits under which the press was required to sign an agreement tying them
to the government, the opposition press was banned and ANTARA, Indonesia’s
wire news service, became government controlled.
The move was part of Sukarno’s effort to shore up his power, and he defined
the mass communication media as a vehicle for the creation of a ‘national culture’
(Sen and Hill 2000: 11). When television was first introduced in 1962, in order to
showcase the Asia Games that year, it was clearly an arm of the government.
Taking over where radio left off, Televesi Republik Indonesia (TVRI) was used to
communicate government policies and build society (Gunaratne 2000: 270).
But, this period of ‘Guided Democracy’ was ‘characterised by...intense
ideological debates’ (Sen and Hill 2000: 3). There were heated discussions, partic-
ularly in the Jakarta press, reflecting the growing divisions in society and Sukarno’s
dwindling influence. Debate became increasingly heated until 1965, when the army
seized power, finally replacing Sukarno with Suharto in March 1966, and commu-
nist papers, Chinese language papers (except one official Chinese daily ‘Herian
Indonesia’) and left wing papers were banned (Gunaratne 2000: 268).

The new order and the control of information

The ‘control of information was central to Suharto’s hold on power’ (Harsono
2000: 78). And where radio had been the tool of the great orator, Sukarno,
Suharto used television to create his Indonesia. Satellite served to carry his word
to television sets around the nation.
Although the first Press Law passed by the parliament in 1966 provided for
press freedom, these were put into the context of the state ideology, pancasila.