EYEWITNESS NEWS — DENPASAR
The criminalization of journalists due to reporting disputes remains a tangible threat to press freedom in Indonesia. To prevent similar cases from recurring, the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) Denpasar has submitted the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Press Council and the Indonesian National Police (Polri) to the Bali Regional Police Chief.
The handover of this crucial document took place during a gathering between the Bali Police Chief and media personnel at Hongkong Garden, Denpasar, on Thursday (10/29/2026).
The Press Council-Polri MoU document, along with the Journalist Handbook published by the Press Council, was received directly by the Head of Public Relations of the Bali Regional Police, Senior Commissioner Ariasandhy, S.I.K., representing Bali Police Chief Inspector General Pasma Royce.
The Chairperson of AJI Denpasar, Ni Kadek Novi Febriani, emphasized that the dissemination and re-socialization of this memorandum of understanding are critically important. According to her, many parties still fail to fully understand Law Number 40 of 1999 on the Press, which guarantees press freedom while regulating law enforcement regarding the misuse of the journalistic profession.
Febri added that, in practice, quite a few members of the public and law enforcement officers still rely on the perspective of the Criminal Code (KUHP) when handling reporting disputes. In fact, Indonesia has had a legitimate Press Law since the 1999 Reformation era under the leadership of President B.J. Habibie.
“This step is preventative. We want to ensure there is no more criminalization of journalists and that every reporting dispute is resolved through the right-of-reply mechanism,” Febri stated.
For the record, the Memorandum of Understanding between the Press Council and the National Police (Number: 03/DP/MoU/III/2022 and NK/4/III/2022), signed on March 16, 2022, focuses on coordinating the protection of press freedom and enforcing the law against the misuse of the journalistic profession. The MoU reinforces the handling mechanism for journalistic works through the lex specialis rules of the Press Law.
The five-year cooperation document (2022–2027) encompasses the scope of data and information exchange, the protection of press freedom, law enforcement against professional misconduct, and the enhancement of human resource capacity.
In accordance with the mandate of Press Law No. 40/1999, disputes concerning journalistic works must be resolved through the Right to Reply or Right to Correction at the Press Council. Meanwhile, for alleged purely criminal acts unrelated to journalistic works, the National Police may still proceed with legal processing after first coordinating with the Press Council.
Reporter: Daniel Herry
