‘People need to know who they’re voting for’

International student Ida Bagus Gde Narindo Giriputra has spent a lot of time considering the many aspects of freedom of speech.

The Indonesian, who lives in Invercargill, first became interested in the subject when one of his favourite comedians Reza (Coki) Pardede landed in hot water over a religious joke in 2018, attracting death threats from conservatives in his home country.

Indonesia has a murky past when it comes to freedom of speech under the dictatorship of Suharto (known only by his given name) from 1967 to 1998.

‘‘If you spoke out about the government, you could be gunned down or ‘go missing’,’’ Giriputra, who was a child in the 1990s, recalled.

Twenty years later, families of missing Indonesians are still petitioning the government for answers about the whereabouts of their children and siblings, he said.

Freedom of speech had improved dramatically under a democratic government, Giriputra said, but some Indonesian politicians were ‘‘still holding back’’.

He was pragmatic when speaking about freedom of speech as a broad term – acknowledging the reach of social media and its implications for connecting people with similar, sometimes derogatory, ideas.

Giriputra also understands that politicians will always be selective with their language.

‘‘It’s wise to use words that are fit for the people you are talking to,’’ he offered.

But he didn’t think it was ethical for city councillors to be barred from speaking out about each other in public.

On Tuesday, Invercargill City councillors voted in favour of new a media protocol that asks elected members to focus on issues and activities when speaking to the media, ‘‘rather than the actions or decisions of other elected members of staff’’. Giriputra said: ‘‘People really need to know what’s happening and who they’re voting for. When you choose a leader, you want to know what he’s up to, who he has relations with, and how he handles his relationships.’’

If councillors weren’t allowed to speak about each other, ‘‘someone might be surprised after a candidate gets a position and something goes wrong’’, he said.

Giriputra also considered the impact of this on the Invercargill community and his own challenges when dealing with others – particularly those of different cultures.

‘‘It isn’t always easy, but if the community really understands freedom of speech, we’ll get to know each other better,’’ he said.

STUFF International student Ida Bagus Gde Narindo Giriputra comes from Bali, an island in the Indonesian Archipelago. He thinks it’s only fair that the people of Invercargill know as much as possible about candidates who want to run for a spot on the city council.