Criticising politicians now a crime in Indonesia

JAKARTA: Indonesians could be jailed for criticising national politicians under a new law, in what critics slammed as a major step back for the world’s third-biggest democracy.

The vaguely worded Bill passed the 560-member house last month but has just become official, over the objections of President Joko Widodo who refused to sign off on the controversial legislation.

Widodo does not have veto power over the Bill, although it can be challenged at the Constitutional Court.

The so-called MD3 law opens the door to pressing charges against anyone who “disrespects parliament or its members” but does not set out possible minimum or maximum jail terms.

Indonesia is the third biggest democracy globally behind India and the United States.

Protesters across the South-East Asian archipelago who blasted the Bill could potentially see themselves jailed for such demonstrations in the future, critics said.

“How does the law define disrespect?” said Sebastian Salang from the monitoring group Indonesian Parliament Watchdog.

“It is not clearly explained and could be loosely interpreted as long as it fits the lawmakers’ interest to silence critics.”

Hundreds of protesters staged a rally outside the Constitutional Court in Jakarta yesterday, calling on it to revoke the legislation.

A spokesman for the court said it had already received three petitions challenging the law, but it could take months before it renders a decision. — AFP