Liputan6.com, Jakarta Despite the fact democracy is set to be the one ideology governing the policies within Indonesia, its values have been poorly implemented in the past. However, such is to enter a new promising democratic phase with Indonesia recently favoring case of freedom of expression in areas prone to conflict within archipelago state region such as in Papua and previously in East Timor, before it became independent on its own.
Indonesian President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo announced on May 10th 2015 that foreign journalist can freely enter Papua and other provinces or region within Indonesia.
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“Starting from this Sunday (May 10 2015), I grant the freedom of foreign journalists to enter Papua and other region within Indonesia,” President Jokowi stated.
The government has progressed much more democratically in this spectrum as it yields special permits for foreign journalist to do coverage and to conduct any other journalistic- related ventures in Papua.
Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Morten Hoglund commented on such positive move of freedom of expression in Indonesia in his speech during the 8th Bali Democracy Forum held from the 10-11th of December 2015 in Nusa Dua Bali, Indonesia.
According to him, the freedom of expression within Asia- Pacific region is going on a positive trend with improvement can be blatantly seen as time progresses. He posits the fact that such positive transformation deserves the kind of attention at a larger scale.
“The area has been developing positively in terms of the freedom given to the press,” he said, Nusa Dua, Bali, Friday (11/12/2015).
He thinks that Indonesia’s confident move upon granting freedom for press to cover a story in the area is something needs to be highlighted as it opens a wide access for foreigners to gain more information for their coverage and that such move ought to be followed by other nations as to further boost the implementation of democratic values anywhere else around the world.
According to him, freedom of press means allowing journalist to become independent in their way of thinking and expressing their opinion without being steered by the political and economic climates which surround the nation at that time. This is a true reflection of democracy.