VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

On February 9, Indonesia commemorated National Press Day (HPN) which took place in Surabaya, East Java. The date was determined by a Presidential Decree in 1985, based on the results of the 28th congress of the Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) in Padang City, West Sumatra in 1978. This was driven by the eagerness of the community to set a historic day in a bid to commemorate the role and existence of the national press.

The commemoration of National Press Day is not only a ceremony to give awards to individuals and institutions that are considered instrumental in advancing press freedom, but is also an event that aims to improve the protection of workers in the media and maintain press freedom in Indonesia.

The national press is only able to develop and achieve success through continual support from the public. After a long journey, Indonesia obtained press freedom as the era of the New Order government began to collapse. Based on Law No. 40/1999 Concerning the Press, the government developed a new set of rules to develop the journalism profession and the realm of media activists, which provide written norms that allow the press to obtain legal protection that recognized the press’s social function as a communicator of public information. 

Unfortunately, the Indonesian press does not always get full protection from all parties. According to the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), the Indonesian press still faces a number of challenges. Cases of violence against journalists still occur, the AJI chronicling 64 cases of violence in 2017, up 60% from the year before. In addition, the press still faces challenges of maintaining high standards of professionalism, the level of public complaints to the Press Council almost doubling in 2017, an increase to 721 complaints in comparison to 400 in 2016.

For 2018, the ranking of Indonesian press freedom in the world is actually still at number 124, below Timor Leste. While Indonesia does compare better than some ASEAN members countries including the Philippines, Malaysia, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam there is still room for improvement. This shows that the important role carried out by the Indonesian press needs to be of continual focus by the public.

Almost no country in this world is without the Chinese community. Today is Chinese Great Day, the Chinese New Year 2570 which falls on Tuesday 5 February 2019. This event is celebrated by people of Chinese descent throughout the world, including in Indonesia. Chinese people in Indonesia have even been preparing for this annual celebration with great fanfare.

Other Indonesians, despite the majority of diverse Muslims, have respected their traditional celebrations as fellow Indonesians, although they are of different ethnicity. General Secretary of the Muhammadiyah Central Leadership, Abdul Mu'ti considers the Chinese New Year belongs to not only Chinese people, but also people of Indonesia. To Media Indonesia on Sunday (3/2), Abdul Mu'ti said that differences are no longer foreign, but are inevitable. According to him, Chinese New Year has become the property of the Indonesian people, even enriching national culture.

In line with perspective of the General Secretary of Muhammadiyah, one of the Chairmen of the Executive Board of the Nahdlatul Ulama, Marsudi Syuhud said that the Chinese New Year is a momentum to restore national traditions based on unity and compassion.

Not only leaders of religious organizations, in this case, Islam, but also leaders of this country recognize that the celebration of the Chinese New Year reflects the spirit of unity in diversity. Deputy Chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly of the People's Consultative Assembly, Muhaimin Iskandar emphasized that national politics will continue to be the color of Indonesian politics for good. Tolerance and diversity are guaranteed in this country.

Muhaimin further stated this at the Chinese New Year Reflection 2570/2019 event which was attended by the Chinese community in Jakarta Thursday (1/31). In addition to being attended by Minister of Village and Development of Disadvantaged Regions, Eko Putro Sanjoyo and Minister of Manpower, Hanif Dhakiri, the event was also attended by interfaith leaders and entrepreneurs of Chinese descents.

After much speculation, the second meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un looks set to take place. This follows the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo telling US television the meeting would be held later this month. During this interview Pompeo said the location was yet to be determined, but he had sent a team to prepare for a meeting somewhere in Asia.

This may end up to by mere showmanship, as the director of the National Intelligence Agency Dan Coats, revealed so far there had been no progress on the issue of nuclear disarmament. In these reports the director said he doubts North Korea is serious about disarming its nuclear arsenal. Within the intelligence forecast of the annual Worldwide Thread Assessment the report admited North Korea was at least no longer carrying out provocative nuclear tests of previous years. The Coats Report is supported by the United States Defence Intelligence Agency.

However, President Donald Trump criticised the US intelligence report on his social media accounts. Trump wrote on Twitter that the talks last year had made a difference and he was looking forward to meeting North Korean Leader Kim Jong-Un. President Trump also rejected the intelligence claims that ISAS had the potential to rebuild in Syria

Based on Pompeo’s statement, the second meeting between the leaders at least provides a hope of a breakthrough in the settlement of the Korea peninsula. However, the talks could be cancelled at any time, if reports North Korea is continuing its nuclear program are proven correct, or if President Trump changes his attitude and trusts the intelligence reports he receives from his government defense agencies.