Journalists in Indonesia have every right to rejoice today on World Press Freedom Day. After nine years of political reform, Indonesia has one of the most liberal laws in Asia when it comes to dealing with the press. Granted it's not perfect. Generally speaking, observance of the press law is largely still left wanting. But we should be thankful nevertheless for what we have achieved, as we continue our struggle to ensure that this freedom is complete and sustainable.

The press in Indonesia has come a long way from the Soeharto years when it was forced to exercise self-censorship or face the brutal wrath of the government and the military. Gone are the threats to close down publications, as are the late night phone calls to editors from people in high places "requesting" that publication of certain news or articles be withheld, all in the name of national stability.

Today, Indonesia has a very vibrant media of the sort that characterizes most newly democratized countries. No powerful person, including the elected president, can escape the scrutiny of the intruding media. Scandals, corruption, human rights abuses and other cases of malpractice and bad governance are now daily staples of the Indonesian press.

The press has also changed its role, from acting more as the mouthpiece of the government, to trying to better represent and articulate the aspirations of the people. It has also given a voice to the voiceless by raising awareness about the fate of the weak, the marginalized and minority groups.

Few other countries in Asia can boast of the freedom that their journalists enjoy in going about their profession. Most of Asia remains under strict controlled press regimes. And their press, very much like Indonesia's in the 1990s, cannot function like a normal press in a democratic society.

Leaving aside the imperfections of Indonesia's press freedoms (let the pessimists among us pick them up), we have another cause to celebrate this year: More and more court rulings have gone in favor of press freedom. The dismissals of the cases against Playboy Indonesia magazine, and Rakyat Merdeka Online for republishing a controversial cartoon of Prophet Muhammad, show that the court can stand against the staunchest intimidation and strongly manipulated public opinion to reach the right verdict.

But as we celebrate and count our blessings we should not lose sight of the reason we so passionately fought for the most liberal press law.

The freedom that we have does not come in a vacuum. We operate in a democratic society that has some minimum expectations about the behavior and conduct of its press.

The press in Indonesia, like the press in any democracy, has increasingly been pushed to playing the role of the fourth estate. It is an all-powerful pillar that, unlike the first three, is not subject to periodic elections or control. The press is therefore an all powerful institution that can influence public opinion one way or another.

While it is widely recognized that the press can only perform its democratic role in a free environment, this freedom does not come without conditions. Society giveth and society taketh. In return for freedom, the press must fulfill its responsibilities.

Sadly, we still see plenty of abuse of the freedom given to the press, as well as sloppiness and lack of professionalism in journalism. Increasingly, we hear more and more people are demand some form of press control to be re-imposed.

Accusations that the press has gone overboard with its freedom cannot be lightly dismissed. The press has its failings and shortcomings, and it needs to address these problems before others, possibly the government, impose the limits arbitrarily. We will then be back to where we were a decade ago.

World Press Freedom Day is a time to celebrate as much as to contemplate that this freedom does not come for free. There are obligations placed upon the press, and we have yet to honor them fully.