Riyadi Suparno, Bandung – The planned launch of Playboy Indonesia and the publication of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad by European newspapers are two issues that could affect press freedoms in Indonesia, journalists say.

Speaking to commemorate National Press Day here Thursday, Association of Indonesian Journalists chairman Tarman Azam was emphatic about his opposition to media that published pornography and images that insulted religions. "We are against Playboy, we are against the caricatures!" he shouted.

The cartoons and Playboy have caused a public outcry in Indonesia, especially among Muslims. The issues were seized upon by the journalists and politicians speaking at the commemoration ceremony, with some questioning whether the 2004 Press Law needed to be changed.

Communications and Information Minister Sofyan A Djalil noted that the government was studying the Press Law to see whether it was still relevant to Indonesia. If need be, the government would amend it, he said without elaborating.

However, another senior journalist, Sabam Siagian, questioned the motive behind any revisions. The former ambassador to Australia said the media should fight any acts that curtailed its freedom and led to increased government control.

If the government blamed press freedom for media excesses and curtailed it, this would be a serious mistake, Press Council chairman Ichlasul Amal said.

Amal said a lack of professionalism and training among journalists led to the worst excesses in Indonesia – issues that had little to do with increased freedoms.

Reporters and members of the public were often still not aware that extra responsibilities came with new freedoms, he said.

A 2004 study by the council covering 28 newspapers in Java, found that only 30 percent of the people running newspapers met the council's minimum set of professional standards. Media skill-sets outside Java were likely to be even worse, Amal said.

President Susilo Yudhoyono assured the meeting that the government had no intention of curbing press freedom. "Anyone can run publications here without any license. The government cannot and will not close any media," Yudhoyono said to the applause of journalists at the Merdeka Palace.

The government would let the public, the Press Council and the legal system regulate the media – all legitimate ways in which media was controlled in a free society, he said.

However, Yudhoyono reminded journalists that press freedom was not absolute in any country. The media had to work within defamation laws so as not to libel people, he said. Susilo said high standards of professionalism meant acting ethically and respecting others – all qualities that were vital to a healthy media.